Rugrats Meets Rugrats: Forever and Always
by Brainyxbat
Summary: Sequel to High School Daze. During her honeymoon with Chuckie, Shenzi Tuck-Finster makes a surprising announcement: She's pregnant! How will the process of her and Chuckie starting a family go? And who is out to get her?
1. Prologue: The Announcement

**(A/N: I decided to turn my LiM trilogy into a tetralogy! This continues right where High School Daze left off, so I suggest reading it, along with We Meet Again and Lost in Manhattan first, to avoid spoilers.)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Prologue

* * *

 _He never kept track of this; He wondered if they ever forgot to use..._

 _"Chuckie!" Shenzi rushed out of the bathroom, with her hands on her flat, slightly revealed stomach, looking very joyous. She had been feeling kind of sick for the past few days, and naturally, he was very worried about his lovely bride. He hoped she was okay. Little did he know, she was more than okay. When he saw her, she looked emotional. "I have the most amazing news."_

"What is it, baby?" Chuckie Finster hastily stood up, and gently took his wife in his arms. "Are you alright?"

"I'm more than alright," Shenzi Tuck, no _Finster,_ looked up at him, tears threatening to spill. "I..." He patiently waited for her to regain her composure. "I'm pregnant!" She blurted out.

Chuckie's eyes widened as his mouth fell open. His young wife was expecting?! "Wha-what- are you serious?!" A wide smile grew on his face, as he started spinning her around in a celebratory way. "Oh my God! I can't believe it! We're going to have a baby!" He set her down, and gazed lovingly at her. "This is wonderful, Shen." He kissed her forehead over her black bangs. "How far along are you?"

"I'm not sure," She shrugged, trying to calm down from the former excitement, "I can't tell. After we come back home, I'll schedule a doctor's appointment to figure it out."

"Alright," He nodded, "It's a good thing we go home tomorrow." He let out a shaky sigh. "Wow, I can't believe this is happening."

"Me neither," She giggled, "But I'm so happy."

"Me too, my love," Chuckie kissed her lips with one hand on her cheek, "Me too."

As she slept, he couldn't help but watch her. He couldn't believe that she was pregnant. He was going to be a father, and she was going to be a mother! Wait 'til their families and friends hear about this! After holding his wife closer, he drifted off into dreamland.

* * *

The next day, the newlyweds packed their suitcases for the flight back home from Paris. For the flight, Shenzi wore a black and white skull-printed ruffle dress with spaghetti straps, classic Converse high-tops, small black hoop earrings, a single white extension in her long bangs, and multiple extensions that faded from black to white. She bought them while in Paris with her husband. Her black and white diamond wedding ring was safe and snug on her right ring finger, like it had been ever since the ceremony took place.

After zipping the last suitcase shut, she turned to Chuckie. "Is that everything?"

"Yep," He nodded, "Should be." He was wearing a white t-shirt with a black horizontal stripe on each of the sleeves, blue denim jeans, and black Vans with white laces. His silver wedding ring was on his right ring finger, where it stayed since the blessed union happened. "You ready to head home, Shen?"

"Uh huh," She nodded, "I can't wait to see Mom, Dad, and Frankie again, and all our friends."

"Same here," He agreed with her, "Let's get to the airport; Our flight leaves in 2 ½ hours." The couple pulled their luggage out of their hotel room, returned the key, and waited at the bus station for a shuttle bus ride to their destination.

"I love shuttle buses," Shenzi remarked, "They're like park rides."

' _Speaking of park rides,_ ' Chuckie thought to himself, but didn't say it out loud. He didn't want to spoil the surprise. "Yeah, they are," He nodded in agreement. Once the bus came, the couple lugged their suitcases on board, and sat at the right hand side together, holding onto their luggage to keep it from sliding around as the bus practically flew to the airport. Chuckie held onto Shenzi to prevent any injuries to her and/or the baby. When she watched the scenery outside at a red light, he kissed the back of her head, gaining her attention. She smiled up at him, and snuggled on his shoulder as their hands intertwined.

After a short amount of time, they were at the airport, from where they would fly back home. Chuckie was amused when Shenzi giggled and squirmed during the pat down when going through security, although he couldn't deny that he did the same. They were both very ticklish. He was also relieved when she asked the security guard to be careful, since she was pregnant, and he was after congratulating her.

Before long, they were in the plane, searching for good seats, with their carry on bags on hand. "Why don't we sit near the restroom, in case you get morning sickness?" Chuckie suggested.

"'Kay," She nodded, "Good idea." After storing their bags in the overhead compartment, they took the seats closest to the bathroom, with Shenzi in the aisle seat and Chuckie in the middle. She wanted to sit by the window, but he insisted otherwise, so she could get to the bathroom faster if she needed it. When they were taking off, she held onto him with excitement and anticipation, ignoring her slight nausea. Once they were free to move about the cabin, the couple undid their seatbelts, Shenzi for more comfort. "That was like another park ride!" She exclaimed.

"Yep," He chuckled; His wife was like a child, and it was adorable. "How're you doing?"

"I'm doing fine," She replied with her hands on her stomach, "So's our baby. Wait... hang on." She hastily ran to the bathroom, and everyone in earshot turned around when she hurled into the toilet. Chuckie rushed in, and held her hair back as her hands gripped the toilet seat.

When they returned to their seats after she washed her hands and mouth, he was relieved when he saw a flight attendant with a refreshments cart. "Um, excuse me?" The woman stopped at their row. "Can I get some water for my wife? She just threw up about a minute ago."

"Coming right up, sir."

"Thanks a lot. She's lightly pregnant, and needs all the help she can get."

"Oh, congratulations! I'll get that water for your wife." She then walked to the front of the plane.

"Don't worry Shen," He turned to his wife, who looked disgusted from the horrible taste lingering in her mouth, "Your water will be here in a minute."

"'Kay," She nodded with a little grimace. He went to kiss her lips, but she stopped him, turning her head away. "Chuckie, I just threw up a minute ago. You don't want to kiss a girl who just threw up."

He smiled lovingly at her, as he gently turned her head to face him again, his fingers on her chin. "Says who?" He kissed her soft lips for a few seconds, before drawing away.

She let a little smile grow, as her cheeks were flushed. "Thanks Chuck, but if you get that pukey taste in your mouth, and the smell in your breath, don't blame me," She giggled, making him chuckle.

"I'm good, don't worry about me." He kissed her cheek, close to her nose.

"Ew!" She laughed. "I can smell your breath! Here." She took a gum package out of her purse, and gave it to him. "Chew a stick or two of this." He looked at the package, and couldn't hold back the small laugh. The gum was from Sour Patch Kids; Only his wife.

"Thanks, Shen." He smelled his breath with his hand, and his grimace made Shenzi giggle. He took two sticks out of the package, and chewed them up. "You have any napkins for when I'm done?"

"No, but I can ask for some," She replied. After a few seconds, the attendant came with a decently sized cup of cold water on the cart.

"Thanks," Chuckie took the cup, and carefully gave it to his wife, who almost gulped the whole thing down. "Can we get a couple napkins too?"

"Yes you can," She nodded, and gave them to him, "Anything else?"

"No thanks," He shook his head, "We're fine."

"Alright; Just push the assistance button if you need anything." With that, the attendant started serving the other passengers.

When Chuckie turned to Shenzi, she just finished drinking. "How's that water, Shen?"

"It's great," She replied, holding it in her hands on her lap, "Very refreshing. How's the gum I gave you?"

"It has a good taste," He nodded, "Sour, though."

She giggled at that. "I'm glad you like it."

The husband and wife snuggled with each other after buckling in, just in case, as the plane smoothly glided above the world. When Chuckie looked down at Shenzi after several minutes of silence, he saw that she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead and brushed his thumb on the back of her soft, small hand. When she laid her right hand over his, their rings made slight contact. He almost felt fatigue as he laid his head carefully on hers, and kept his left hand in his lap, holding her water cup. He carefully spat out his gum and wrapped it in the napkins, keeping it in his hand until an attendant with a trash can passed by. After the attendant walked away, Chuckie snuggled with his lovely, glowing wife some more, eager to get home and make the announcement to their friends and families. Shenzi had to throw up again, but after she drank the rest of her water, she was out again.

The next morning, the pilot announced that they would be landing in California momentarily. After waking up, Chuckie looked down at his sleeping wife, and leaned down to her flat stomach. "Don't worry, baby; This won't hurt a bit." He hovered his left hand above her legs, and started gently tickling her stomach over her dress with all his fingers. "Wakey, wakey."

"Ehehehehehe!" She burst into a fit of giggles, pushing his hand away before she woke up. "What is it, Chuckie?" She rubbed the fatigue out of her eyes.

"We're landing in California right now," He replied.

"Oh!" She perked up. "Yay! Finally!"

When they were granted permission to disembark, the couple grabbed their overhead luggage, and exited the plane. At the baggage claim, after grabbing their luggage, they were surprised by two very familiar faces. "Mom! Dad!" Chuckie exclaimed in shock, before he and Shenzi bombarded them with hugs, the latter being careful.

"How was your honeymoon?" Kira asked them.

"It was wonderful," The black-haired girl replied happily.

"We uh, we have a little announcement to make," Chuckie told them, "Can you drive us to Shenzi's house, and pick up Kimi, so they all can hear?"

"That is what we're here for," Chaz shrugged, "Come on, you two lovebirds." They had driven them to the airport before their honeymoon, so Chuckie's new car was still at home, as was Shenzi's. The couple followed them to their car, where they called their friends, asking to come to her house, and she called Frankie and her parents to give them a heads-up. On the way, the couple cuddled silently together, their hands intertwined once again. They loved Paris, but were glad to be back home.

"Oh, wait!" Chuckie suddenly piped up, breaking the silence. "Can we stop at CVS real quick? I just had an idea."

* * *

After making their stop, they were back at the Tuck residence. "Okay, we'll go in first," Chaz told the newly married couple, and they nodded in agreement. He and Kira entered the house, announcing that Shenzi and Chuckie were back, as they followed them in. "They have returned!" He exclaimed as the couple entered the living room. They were bombarded with hugs by their friends, Shenzi's parents, and her stepsister, Frankie Tuck, soon to be Zimmeruski. Her boyfriend, Bobby Zimmeruski, had proposed to her while Shenzi and Chuckie were away, and their wedding date was a few months from then.

"How'd your honeymoon go?" Frankie asked them.

"It went great," Shenzi replied, "But before we talk about that... we have a surprise for all of you guys. Let's go in the living room." They gathered in the said room, as the couple stood in front of their friends and families. "Chuckie, you have the card?"

"Yes I do," He nodded, and handed an envelope to Felicia Tuck, his new mother-in-law.

"Thanks." She took out the card, and silently read it with Frankie.

After the message sunk in, the younger blonde suddenly broke the silence. "Oh my God!" She practically jumped off the couch, and spun her little sister in a giant hug, before Felicia followed her lead, giving the card to her husband, Friar Tuck. "I can't believe it!" Frankie practically shook Chuckie in her embrace with high excitement, and once they read the message, their friends joined the two blondes in yelling with joy and almost snapping the newlyweds in half with tight hugs of congratulations and ecstacy. "Oh, I'm gonna cry!" Frankie squealed with joy. "I'm going to be an aunt!"

Friar Tuck stared at the card in absolute shock, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped amongst the cheers. His youngest daughter was pregnant?! His little rugrat was going to have a rugrat of her own?! He couldn't believe it! "Dad? Are you okay?" Shenzi asked him through the excitement.

He looked up, and saw her gazing at him in concern from her place in Chuckie's arms. "Y-yeah, I'm alright," He nodded, trying to get over the shock, "I just can't believe that you're going to be a mother."

"I can't either," She giggled, "But I'm so happy." She shifted out of Chuckie's hold, and was in her father's in seconds.

"Me too, sweetheart."

The moment was ruined, however, when Shenzi had to make a mad dash to the bathroom. The group grew concerned when they heard her throwing up in the toilet. "She'll be alright," Chuckie assured them, "It's morning sickness; Perfectly normal for beginning pregnancies." The mothers nodded in confirmation. "I'll go check on her." He ran to the bathroom, and held her hair back like he always did, before she was done. "You okay?"

"Uh huh," She nodded, rinsing the taste out of her mouth with a Dixie cup, "I'm pretty wiped out from the flight, though."

"Me too," He agreed with her, "Why don't we get some rest? Our family and friends will understand."

"'Kay," She nodded.

"I'll meet you in your, no, _our_ room," He winked, making her giggle tiredly, "I'll be there in a minute."

"Alright," She walked to their room, as Chuckie headed downstairs.

"Shenzi's fine," He announced to their friends and family, "But we're both pretty tired from our two-day flight, so we're going to bed for a while."

"Alright," Kimi nodded, "You two lovebirds rest as long as you need to."

"Thanks," Chuckie smiled at his sister, before he decided to make another announcement. "Um, I-I have this surprise planned for Shenzi for her birthday; I'm going to take her to Disneyland, and California Adventure too."

"Ooh, awesome!" Frankie showed excitement, while keeping her voice down. "We won't tell her."

"You sure she'll be alright?" Felicia asked him. "What if she gets sick while you're in a line?"

"Well, when her birthday comes, the morning sickness should end," Chuckie explained, "She'll be okay. I'll take good care of her, just like I did in Paris."

"Good," Frankie nodded, "I bet you took _very_ good care of her, huh?" She winked cheekily at him. "Judging by how she's expecting now."

"Yes I did," He chuckled, "But I won't go into detail, especially in front of you guys," He turned to his in-laws.

"Thanks," Felicia giggled, "Now you rest up with your lovely wife."

"Thanks; We'll try to be awake before dinner." He then grabbed the suitcase that held his and Shenzi's sleepwear, and walked back upstairs.

He stifled laughter when he heard what Kimi said to their friends: "Sheckie did the nasty!" That statement was followed by what sounded like multiple facepalms, and giggles. He knew how inappropriate it sounded, but it was hilarious.

He entered his and his wife's bedroom and closed the door, so they could change their clothes in private, together. Chuckie decided on dark blue Star Wars lounge pants, and a matching t-shirt. When he turned to the bed, he smiled upon seeing his lovely wife in black tuxedo boyshorts, and a black tuxedo babydoll top. "Hey you," He sat closely next to her, "Nice... top." He didn't know any fashion terms like she did, so that's usually what he went with.

"Thanks," She giggled, "It's from Victoria's Secret."

"Of course it is," He chuckled. She bought almost all of her undergarments and sexy pjs from that place, despite the high prices. She even bought some swimwear at a point or two. Ever since she started, he bought her a gift card to it for her birthday and for the holidays. "Come on, let's get some sleep."

"'Kay," She nodded through a yawn, as they took off their glasses and laid their heads on her pillows. She bought a couple of extras for her husband the day he moved in with her. The very moment she laid down, she was asleep.

Chuckie carefully held her closer, and stroked her dark hair. He knew that due to Shenzi's pregnancy, she was going to be much more fragile, if she wasn't now. She was going to have to be careful, as was he, especially in the Disney parks. Deciding to worry about it later, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **(A/N: Well, there's the start of the 4th LiM story! You know the disclaimer; Friar Tuck [this version] belongs to Disney, all the Rugrats characters belong to Klasky-Csupo, and Frankie and Shenzi Tuck belong to me. Shenzi is 98% percent human, with her only non-human features being her ears, nose, and skin color.)**


	2. Chuckie's Surprise

**(A/N: The first official chapter is now up! Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 1

* * *

 **August 26** **th**

"Shenzi," Chuckie gently whispered in his wife's ear, "Shen? Wake up, birthday girl." He laid a hand on her shoulder, and gently shook it. "Shenzi? It's almost 4; You can't sleep in on your birthday." Her pregnancy really took its toll on her in the last few weeks, so she slept a lot more often. When he lightly, but tenderly kissed her cheek, her large, beautiful eyes finally opened.

"Hmm?" She yawned and rubbed her eyes like a child. "What'd you say?"

"I said you can't sleep in on your birthday," He repeated his words, and kissed her lips with one hand on her cheek. "Happy Birthday, my love."

"Thanks, Chuckie, but my birthday's tomorrow."

"Don't thank me just yet," He poked her nose, making her giggle, "Wait 'til after I surprise you with your present today."

"Ooh, you got me a present?"

"Yep," He nodded, "And it's a very special present, so you change out of your pjs, and into something casual." He poked her tummy close to where it was bared, making her flinch and giggle. "Meet me outside. I already packed our stuff." With that, he left the room before closing the door.

"Wait, wha...?" She was about to ask him why he packed their things, but he was gone before she could. Brushing it off, she stripped out of her black Wildfox "Stay Up All Night" and "Sleep All Day" camisole and shorts pajamas set, and black and white camo knee-high socks, and changed into a light green strappy tank top, a black twist-front skater dress with short sleeves, light green Iron Fist zombie flats with a black bow at the outer side, black rose earrings, a lime green single extensions, and black multiple extensions that faded into lime green.

She then walked downstairs and in the kitchen, where Felicia was waiting for her. "Hey, there's my glowing, little birthday girl." She kissed her youngest daughter's forehead, then set a bowl of Lucky Charms. "There you go. You look beautiful today, sweetie."

"Thanks, Mom." Shenzi started eating her cereal, suddenly feeling self-conscious, "But... my birthday is tomorrow."

"Oh, I know. You just eat up, and get fueled for your big surprise," Felicia told her.

"What _is_ this surprise?" She lightly exclaimed with a giggle. "Chuckie wouldn't tell me! He just said that he packed our stuff."

"Well, it _is_ a surprise," Frankie reminded her, "So you can't know what it is until you receive it. But I'll tell you this: It's huge."

"Ooh," She felt intrigued, "That sounds exciting. I can't wait to get it."

"It is exciting," Friar Tuck sat at her other side, "And I trust him with your safety, completely."

"Is it an overnight thing?" She asked them, and they nodded. "Cool! That explains why Chuckie mentioned a surprise today, and packed our stuff."

"Yep," Frankie nodded, "It'll be great, I know it. It'll be just you and Chuckie tomorrow."

"Ooh," Shenzi raised her eyebrows, "That sounds nice." She finished her cereal after a few minutes, and put her dishes away in the dishwasher.

"Alright, now you go brush your teeth and then pack your hygiene stuff, birthday mama," Felicia playfully ordered her, "Papa awaits."

"'Kay," She giggled, and walked to the bathroom, feeling thankful that her toothbrush and toothpaste were still in there. After a couple minutes, she finished and stashed her brush in a portable toothbrush holder, holding the paste tube in one hand as she searched for the luggage. After finding one small bag, which held their hygiene objects, she stashed their items in it and searched for her husband. "Hey uh, guys?" She turned to her family in the kitchen. "You know where Chuckie's at?"

"Yeah, he's outside," Frankie gestured to the front door, where the redhead's car was slightly visible.

"Oh, okay! Th-thanks!" She then walked up to, and hugged them in turn. "I'll be careful, I promise."

"Alright," Friar Tuck nodded, "You have fun with Chuckie, okay? And call us when you're settled into where you're going."

"I will," She agreed to do so, then walked out to the car, where she stashed the hygiene items bag. "Okay, that should be everything. Are you going to tell me where we're going?" She tried to ask him, as they sat in the driver's and passenger seats.

"Not yet," He shook his head, while closing his side door, "And until then... you'll have to tie this over your eyes, so you can't see it ahead of time." He held out a black and white paisley bandanna to her.

"Wha-what?" She stammered. "What if people think you're kidnapping me? I don't want you to get arrested!"

"I'll be alright," He assured her, "And so will you. When we stop for bathroom breaks, you can take it off, but you have to put it back on after we're done at every stop."

"What if I don't?" She raised an eyebrow at him cheekily.

"Then I'll convince you to," Chuckie poked her side to prove his point, making her flinch and giggle. "Now then." He gently tied the bandanna over her glasses, kissed her lips for reassurance, then started driving. For this special day, he was wearing dark green floral jeans, a lime green t-shirt, and purple Converse low-tops.

As he drove along the roads, explaining any sudden stops, Shenzi waited in anticipation. She was trying not to question his motives, but after an hour passed, she couldn't help herself. "Can you give me a hint on where we're going?"

"No, sorry," He shook his head, "I don't want to give it away."

"Are we almost there?"

"Yep," He nodded, "We're about 10 minutes away from our destination."

"Ooh!" She jittered a bit, "I'm excited!"

"As you should be," He chuckled. After a few more minutes, plus a bathroom break, he finally parked in a very special parking lot.

"Can I look yet?"

"Not yet," He replied.

"How am I supposed to walk blindfolded?"

"Here." Chuckie shifted her on his back, as the suitcases were hooked on her feet. "I'll carry you there."

"Aww," She giggled, "Thanks Chuckie." She held onto him as she heard and felt him walk to wherever they were going.

As he walked, he hoped that no one around them would give away their location, unintentionally ruining the surprise. Although luckily, that didn't happen. When they were in front of a certain spot, he set her down carefully, filling up with excitement. "Okay Shen, you can look now."

She eagerly took off the bandanna, and her eyes widened at what she saw; The Disneyland park! She gasped in shock, then turned to a widely smiling Chuckie. "Disneyland?! Oh my God, Chuckie!" She practically jumped on him in an excited embrace. "Thank you so much, Chuckie! This is the greatest present ever!"

"You're very welcome," He kissed her lips for a second, "We're going to stay here overnight, and go to the parks tomorrow, on your special day," He winked, as she tied the bandanna around her neck, "That's why we left kind of late."

"Yay!" She cheered, then helped him with their luggage as they headed for the hotel he made reservations for. In the lobby, Shenzi giggled at the large Goofy statue at the desk.

"How may I help you?" The employee asked the couple.

"I made a reservation," Chuckie explained, "It should be under Finster, for a group of two. Or a duo of two," He chuckled, "Not really a party."

"Ah, I see it now," The man nodded, then gave him a room key, "Room 215. I hope you and your wife have a magical time."

"Thanks," Chuckie accepted the card, and led Shenzi to the elevator.

"What kind of room are we staying in?" She asked him as they waited for the elevator to stop.

"Um, it's uh, a standard room," He hesitantly answered, "Sorry that it's not a suite. They're crazy expensive."

"It's okay!" She assured him. "I'm happy with a standard room! I promise!"

"O-okay," He nodded, "But it has a good view of California Adventure."

"Ooh, awesome! I can't wait to see it, and our room!"

Before long, the elevator stopped on the 15th floor. "Here we are." Chuckie led her out of the elevator, helping her with the luggage she pulled, and found their room. "Aha! 215." He unlocked the door, and led her inside as she stared in awe. "What do you think?"

The walls were light beige, a darker brown floor, and one bed with white sheets and pillows and blue and green bed skirts, a rectangular table with a sun mirror by the window, and a small lamp above the bed. The curtains matched the bed skirt, and across from the bed was a couch with blue cushions and a lamp to its right. The bathroom had beige vertically striped two-toned wallpaper, a dark brown porcelain sink with a silver faucet, a surfboard printed shower curtain, and a white bathtub with white tiles on the walls around it.

"Wow!" Shenzi breathed out in awe. "It's beautiful!" She hugged Chuckie after he closed the door. "This is wonderful!" She practically jumped on the bed, her shoes flying off her feet. "I love this pillow!" She giggled, grabbing onto the round pillow that resembled a beach ball.

"I'm glad you're happy," He sat next to her, feeling amused at her excitement, "Were the wait and blind trip worth it?"

"Absolutely," She nodded, before letting out a yawn, "I'm tired."

"Why don't we get ready for bed?" Chuckie suggested. "I'm going to take a shower real quick."

"Okay," She nodded, "I'm going to call my parents." She took out her phone, selected Felicia's number in her contacts, and waited for an answer. As she held her phone to her ear, she propped her arm on the beach ball pillow for support.

"Hello?" Felicia answered after only a couple seconds.

"Hi, Mom! We're in the hotel!"

"Ah; So you now know the surprise?" Felicia asked her with a playful tone.

"Uh huh," She nodded, "And it's wonderful! We'll be going to the parks tomorrow."

"Oh, I know; Chuckie told us your plans."

"Ohh, okay."

"Where are you staying?"

"I thought he told you guys our plans," Shenzi giggled.

"He didn't tell us where the hotel is," Felicia explained.

"Oh, okay. Well, it's the Paradise Pier hotel. It's awesome! There's a beach ball pillow on the bed!"

"That sounds cute," The older woman giggled at her daughter's ecstasy over such a trivial factor.

"I'll send you a picture later!"

"I look forward to it, honey. Now you have fun with Chuckie. I have to get ready for bed."

"Alright," She nodded, "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Bye," They said at the same time, before they hung up. After taking a picture of the ball pillow on her lap and setting her phone on the table, Shenzi sighed in relaxation as she laid face-up on the bed over the covers, holding the pillow on her chest. She seriously had the greatest husband any girl could ask for; He was sweet, caring loyal, handsome, and he took her _here_ for her birthday! She was not letting him go anytime soon, ever.

She figured that several minutes had passed, because when she looked up, she saw Chuckie walking up to the bed with damp hair, and a towel on his shoulders like he was ready for swimming. Surprisingly, he wasn't wearing a shirt with his pajama pants; He didn't do that often. She liked it. Not to mention he looked sexy with wet hair... still. "You comfy, Shen?" He asked her.

"Yeah," She nodded, "This bed is great," She sighed in relaxation, and laid further in the pillows. As Chuckie towel-dried his hair, she couldn't help but watch. He still wasn't toned or muscular in the slightest, but his pale, slender chest always made her heart skip.

When he saw her gawking at him, his freckled cheeks flushed in self-consciousness. "You enjoying the show?" He chuckled at her.

"Ma-aybe," She teased him with a giggle, "I'm going to brush my teeth, and change into my pjs. I'll be back in a few minutes." After grabbing her necessary items from their luggage, she walked in the bathroom and closed the door.

Chuckie put his towel in the hamper, and sighed as he sat on the bed. He had a feeling that this trip was a good idea; Shenzi was very happy, and in turn, it made him happy. He smiled as he heard his wife brushing her teeth in the bathroom, before he heard her changing her clothes. He was going to make sure her birthday is the best she would ever have, no matter the cost. Her happiness meant everything to him, and vice versa. His heart jumped in surprise when he felt the bed shift to right; He looked, and saw Shenzi in small shorts and a tank top. "You ready for bed?" She asked him.

"Yeah," He nodded, "I brushed my teeth right after showering. Let's hit it." After requesting a wakeup call, he held his wife in his arms once their glasses were on the table.

"I could stay like this forever," She whispered with her head on his shoulder.

"Does me being shirtless have anything to do with that?" He smirked at her.

"Possibly," She giggled, then snuggled into his chest, "G'night." With that, she was out.

Chuckie kissed her dark hair as she slept peacefully. He let out quiet giggles when her hair tickled his bare chest unintentionally, but didn't try to stop it. As long as she was comfortable, he didn't care if he was or not. As he petted her soft locks, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **(A/N: Well, they're at Disneyland! Or at least, close to it. ;) You know the disclaimer. I couldn't resist making Chuckie shirtless in bed for once. XD)**


	3. Shenzi's Birthday Pt 1

**(A/N: Phew! Sorry I took so long with this one! I was originally going to have their full trip in one chapter, but them having breakfast and going on the tram alone were making this chapter lengthy. XD Well, enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 2

The next day, Shenzi's eyes blinked open from the requested wakeup call, reaching over and turning it off as the sun shined in through the window. When her nearsighted vision cleared, she saw Chuckie's bare neck, shoulder, and chest in front of her face, making her cheeks blush. She wanted to stay that way forever, but knew that they had to get ready to celebrate her birthday. She gently shook him by his shoulder with one hand. "Chuckie?" She whispered. "It's morning." He moaned a bit, but stayed asleep otherwise. Unlike her, he was a heavy sleeper. "Chuckie?" She nudged him a bit, but he was still out. "Hello?" She eskimo kissed his cheek, but it did nothing. He buried his face in the pillow he used, making her stifle giggles. "Chuckie, wake up! I have to pee!" She whispered loudly, but heard faint, muffled snoring. Deciding to do what she had planned now, she lowered her right hand to the side of his stomach, and lightly raked her fingernails along his soft skin. Stifling laughter, she waited for his reaction.

Chuckie flinched and let muffled giggles out from the ticklish feelings, before he unveiled his face as she drew her hand away. "Sorry, Shen. What time is it?"

"About..." She turned to the clock, "7:40."

"Oh jeez!" He exclaimed, suddenly shooting up. "I forgot about that wakeup call!" They quickly brushed their teeth, used the bathroom, and got dressed together, not caring about privacy; She was now pregnant, so they've seen everything, anyway. "I packed all your Disney clothes and such for you."

"Aww," She smiled, "Thanks. You really thought of everything, didn't you?"

"I guess," He shrugged modestly. He changed into dark denim shorts that reached his knees, a light blue It's a Small World t-shirt, black Vans with colorful accents, and grabbed the Mickey hands backpack he had handy, and a dark denim jacket. Surprisingly, it was the exact same one he received from her on his 13th birthday, and it still fit him.

Shenzi was now wearing a pair of black low-riding cycle shorts, a black and purple zebra tutu skirt, black and white Little Mermaid slip on comfy shoes, black glitter poison apple stud earrings, a black cropped t-shirt with a "Disney Goth" design in lime and purple colors, a lime green single extension, black multiple extensions that faded to purple, her wedding ring, and a black cropped tank top under her shirt, in case it should fly up.

"I grabbed these too," Chuckie gave her a Loungefly Minnie Mouse patch saddle bag, and a matching wallet, which had her required cards in it.

"Thanks, Chuckie!" She eagerly accepted them, then grabbed a black Mickey Mouse lace sweater. "You really did think of everything."

"Oh yeah! And..." He took out a white button pin that read "Baby on Board" in blue letters, and carefully pinned it on the right shoulder of her shirt. "This."

"You're a genius," She giggled and kissed his lips, before she jumped in his arms, and a make-out session began between them, with legs around his waist. Before it could get too intimate, they drew away, and she stood on her feet. "Let's get out there," She hooked her sweater on her elbow, and followed Chuckie out the door. On the way, she put their room key in the front pocket of his backpack for safekeeping. "What're we doing for breakfast?"

"Well, birthday girl, I made reservations at the PCH Grill in this very hotel," Chuckie replied.

"Ooh, cool! What kind of breakfast foods do they have?"

"All of them," He shrugged, making her giggle. "Let's get down there, before we're late."

"What time is our reservation?"

"8:00, exactly." He then saw the time on his brown strap Mickey watch; It was currently 7:49. "Oh jeez! We'd better hurry! We've got 11 minutes!" The couple rushed down in the hotel lobby, hastily asked for directions, and were led to the restaurant.

"Phew!" Shenzi puffed out. "We made it."

"Yep," Chuckie nodded, "With... 8 minutes to spare. Let's check in."

"Good idea." They ran to the lobby and the check-in desk, while not going too fast, since they still had a few minutes.

"H-hi," He puffed out, "I, I have a reservation for Finster."

"How many?"

"2," He replied, "Just me and my wife."

Meanwhile, after folding up her sweater and stashing it in her purse, Shenzi had a good view of the dining area. "Ooh, it's a buffet? Cool!"

"Follow me." The woman led the couple to a moderately-sized table with 4 chairs, where they sat closely together, near the buffet selection. "I'll have a waiter come here to order your drinks momentarily."

"Thanks," Chuckie nodded.

"It's my birthday today!" Shenzi blurted out.

"Oh, well happy birthday."

"Thank you!" With that, the woman walked away to the check-in desk. "This place is awesome!"

"I'm glad you like it," Chuckie smiled at his lovely wife, "I knew you would. Do you mind waiting here for a second? I'm going to wash up real quick. After I'm done, you can go. Seeing as how busy it is here, we'll both have time to do so."

"'Kay," She nodded, "Go ahead."

"Thanks, Shen." He kissed her cheek, then walked to the men's restroom. As she waited for him, she sighed in relaxation and looked around at her surroundings. The floor had a blue carpet with fun, colorful symbols all over, except the buffet area had a tile floor with multi-colored triangles, and the walls were different colors. The tables and chairs were plain brown wood, with the latter having seat cushions that matched the carpet, but with smaller symbols. She couldn't believe that she was at _Disneyland_ , or will be, on her _birthday!_ Chuckie was the greatest husband, boyfriend, and friend anyone could ever ask for. She couldn't wait to get a Disney birthday pin to wear around. When she looked back ahead, she saw him walking back up to her. Speak of the devil. "I'm back," He sat back next to her.

"'Kay; Be right back," She nodded, and walked to the women's restroom after finding it. Chuckie sighed lovingly as he watched her go. Unsurprisingly, various teenage boys were staring at her as she went, but she didn't notice. He was so lucky to have such a beautiful girl as his wife, and the mother of his child. When she announced her pregnancy to him, he secretly vowed to be a much better father than her birth father, Jack Johnson, was. The thought of resenting his own kid over something as trivial as gender made him sick. He wanted to track him down, and make him pay for causing his wife so much emotional pain around prom time. For a recap, she tried to bond with him, but he rejected her efforts, all just because she wasn't a boy. He couldn't even think of doing that with his own child. It was unthinkable. "Hi," Shenzi came up to him, and sat back in her seat. Speak of the devil.

"Hey," He smiled at her, "How was the restroom?"

"Clean," She replied, "Like my hands now." She held her hands up for him to see. "Have any waiters come yet?"

"Not yet," He shook his head, "You getting hungry?"

"A little," She shrugged, "Thirsty too."

"Well, why don't we wait until after we get our drinks before we start gorging?"

"Good idea," She nodded with a giggle, "This place is wonderful. Thanks for taking me here." She hugged him from the side.

"You're very welcome, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead as they stayed in each others' arms for several seconds.

"After we order our drinks, I'll call my parents and/or Frankie, to let them know how we're doing."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll my parents too, and/or Kimi."

"Sounds good." She sighed happily as she laid a hand on his chest. "You're the best husband ever."

"Why do you say that?" He asked her in curiosity.

"'Cause you took me here for my birthday," She replied with a small giggle, "And... you're just so caring, sweet, and selfless." She kissed his freckled, blushing cheek.

"Thanks," He couldn't help but feel modest, "And you're the best wife anyone could ask for. You're also sweet, selfless, and caring, plus you appreciate anything and everything given to you." "I try my best," She shrugged, "Especially for you." She giggled and he chuckled when they shared a playful Eskimo kiss.

"Hello," They looked up, and saw a waitress at the table.

"Uh, h-hi," Chuckie stammered, as his wife grinned sheepishly, "Sorry."

"Oh no, it's okay. Can I start you two off with some drinks?"

"That'd be great, thanks," Chuckie nodded, "Can I get a lemonade, please?"

"Same for me," Shenzi added.

"Alright," The waitress wrote down their order, "Two lemonades, then."

"Today's my birthday!" Shenzi blurted out.

"Oh, happy birthday!"

"Thanks!" With that, the waitress headed for the kitchen. "I hope our drinks don't take too long. I'm thirsty."

"Same here," He agreed with her, "I'm hungry too."

"I am too." They looked at the buffet, where there was seemingly hundreds of choices for breakfast alone.

"What do you want to try?" Chuckie asked her.

"Everything," She giggled.

"We'll look after our drinks come. You can go first."

"Thanks, Chuckie."

"No prob. You're eating for two now, so you need more food than me."

"True," She nodded, "I wonder if I'll also have to drink for two."

"Possibly," He shrugged, "We can explain to our waitress if you need another drink, depending on how quickly you need it."

"Sound good."

They were then silent, not knowing what else to talk about. Shenzi started tapping her foot on the floor, and her finger on the table, whistling the Main Street Electrical Parade tune, making Chuckie smile. Whether she was singing, humming, or whistling, she had a lovely voice. Eventually, he started whistling and tapping with her. They occasionally gazed at the buffet selection to remember where everything was. When they finished the song, they were quiet again.

After only a minute or two, their waitress came with their drinks. "Here are your two lemonades, lovebirds."

"Thanks," Chuckie nodded.

"Yeah, thanks," Shenzi added. They both took long sips from the curly straws as the waitress headed back to the kitchen.

Once they were done, he turned to his wife. "You want to go over there?"

"Sure," She nodded, "Be right back, Chuckie." She stood up, and walked to the buffet table. To his surprise, sort of, she put two Mickey pancakes, three slices of bacon, and a Mickey waffle on her plate.

He smirked when she sat back at their table. "You're not eating light, are you?"

"Nope," She giggled, "I'm eating for two now, remember?"

"Right," He chuckled, "I'll be right back." He walked to the buffet table, and picked out two Mickey waffles, a piece of French toast, and a sausage, before he sat back with his wife, who was already eating. "How's your food?"

"Amazing," She replied after swallowing a pancake bite, then took another. "What about yours?"

"Hang on a sec." Chuckie took a bite out of his sausage, then answered her question after swallowing. "It's awesome."

"Good," She smiled, before finishing her first pancake, but before she could move onto her second one, their waitress came back with a cupcake on the tray, and two other waiters. It had colorful Mickey head sprinkles, and a lit-up candle in the middle. "Ooh!" Shenzi perked up when it was set in front of her, after she moved her plate. "This looks good!" To her surprise, the waiters sang a birthday version of "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" as Chuckie smiled at her. When she blew out the candle, Chuckie and the waiters clapped and even cheered a bit for her, before the candle was taken out. With that, the waiters went back to the kitchen. "That was great!" She eagerly took a sprinkle-filled bite out of the brownie. "So is this!"

"Happy birthday, Shen." He kissed her temple as she excitedly gobbled up the tasty pastry. She nodded in thanks, not wanting to talk with her mouth occupied.

As they ate and drank, they encountered Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Lilo, and Stitch at least once each. A deeply amused Chuckie snapped pictures for each one with his ecstatic wife. They even got a birthday cake sized for just two of them! They each got a special button pin too. Once they were done eating, they boarded a bus to seemingly the parks entrances. Although Chuckie secretly had other plans. "Chuckie, this is the best birthday of my life," Shenzi hugged her husband from the side.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," He reciprocated the hug firmly, but not too tightly.

She suddenly gasped in surprise. "Oh! I forgot to call my family!" She whipped her phone out of her purse, selected Felicia's number, and waited for an answer. "Hi, Mom!" She greeted Felicia after hearing her voice.

"Hi, honey! Happy birthday!"

"Thanks!"

"Did you and Chuckie eat breakfast yet?"

"Yes we did," She replied, "It was at an all-you-can-eat buffet in the hotel. I even got a brownie, and a cake that I shared with Chuckie!"

"I'm glad you're having a good time. Where are you now?"

"Chuckie and I are on a bus to the entrances to the parks." He couldn't help but smirk. She had no idea.

"Ah," Felicia nodded, "Well, you two have fun. I need to run to work."

"Alright. Love you."

"Love you too. And happy birthday again."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll call you later."

"Alright."

"Bye."

"Bye." With that, they both hung up.

"Everything good at home?" Chuckie asked her.

"Seems like it," She nodded, "Mom didn't mention anything bad happening."

"That's good. I'm going to call my family as well." He took his phone out of his front pocket, selected Chaz's cell phone number, and waited for an answer.

"Hello?" Chaz answered the call.

"Hi Dad," Chuckie greeted him.

"Oh, hi Chuckie! How are you and Shenzi doing?"

"We're doing great. We just had breakfast at that PCH Grill I told you, Mom, and Kimi about."

"How was the food there?"

"It was amazing. Oh, and Shenzi got a brownie since it's her birthday, and we shared a cake."

"That sounds nice. I'm glad you're both having a good time. Where are you now?"

"We're heading for the parking lot," Chuckie replied, as Shenzi's eyebrows furrowed confusedly.

"Oh, okay."

"I'll call you, Mom, or Kimi when we're in the first park."

"I look forward to it. Now, I've got to get to my shift at the Java Lava."

"Alright," Chuckie nodded, "Love you, dad."

"I love you too, son."

"Bye."

"Bye." He then hung up, and stashed his phone in his pocket.

"Chuckie?"

He turned to his wife. "Yeah?"

"How come we're going to the parking lot instead of straight to the entrances?"

He let an excited smile grow. "So we can ride the tram to the entrances. I remember how much you loved it in your childhood."

"Aww, Chuckie!" She hugged him from the side. "That'll be awesome! We'll be riding in the fresh, morning air!"

"Yep, we sure will be." They separated after a few seconds. "So uh, Shen?" She turned to him, still looking joyful. "What do you love about the tram?"

"I dunno," She thought about it, "It's relaxing, we'd be in the fresh air, and frankly, I think of it as the first and last ride you go on."

"Hmm," He raised his eyebrows in interest, "You do have some good points there. Especially that last thing." She shrugged modestly. "The tram is definitely relaxing, especially with a slight breeze, and it _is_ like a ride. I can't wait for it."

"Me neither," She agreed, "It's especially wonderful at night."

"Yep," He nodded. Before long, the bus stopped at the parking lot. "Here we are," He glanced at his wife through the driver's voice providing the safety recommendations.

"Yay!" She cheered shortly. When they were granted permission to disembark, Shenzi practically bounded out of her seat, but Chuckie held her hand before she could get lost in the crowd. He loved her childish ways. He led her through the crowd and out of the bus in the fresh air. "Where's the tram line at?"

"Hmm," He looked around, then spotted it, "Right over there." He led her to the start of the long line. "Nice day out, huh?" He remarked.

"Uh huh," She nodded, "Kind of hot, though." She lightly tugged at her shirt. "I'm glad I used a lot of deodorant."

"Same here."

"Do you think we'll get in the first tram? Or the next?"

"Hmm," Chuckie stepped aside, not too far out, and made an estimation. "Um, most likely, we'll have to wait for the next one. Lots of people here."

"Ah," She nodded, "'Kay." She smiled with ecstasy, with her shoulders up a bit. "I'm excited!"

"Me too," He agreed with her.

When the first tram stopped, the line moved quite rapidly, but when the couple were near the front, the tram was full. "Aww, so close," Shenzi giggled over the safety recommendations.

"Yep," Her husband chuckled, "The next one will come momentarily."

"I hope it's soon," She remarked with excitement.

"I do too." As they waited, she gazed around absentmindedly at their surroundings. She saw the hustle and bustle of millions of people, the monorail track high above their heads, and various plants. It was a beautiful sight. Occasionally, the monorail roared by, startling a few patrons. Her heart fluttered at any families with little children, literally jumping with excitement. Some of them were in adorable costumes. Soon, that was going to be her and her husband. "You enjoying the background?" Chuckie smirked at her.

"Uh huh," She nodded with a giggle, "I love the little kids dressed in costumes. It's adorable."

Chuckie held her closer by her shoulders. "Soon, that's going to be us."

"Yep," She nodded, with her hands on her partially bare tummy, "I can't wait for that."

"Me neither."

They snapped their attention to the front when they heard and saw another tram coming up. "There it is!" Shenzi pointed out excitedly as it came to a stop. Chuckie led his wife to the tram near the front, where he made sure she sat in the middle as he sat to her right. "Why can't I sit at the side?" She asked him in curiosity.

"Well, they said no small children at the side," He patted her tummy, making her flinch and giggle, "So you need to sit in the middle."

"Ohh, okay." After a minute or two of safety checks, and the recommendations translated to Spanish, the tram started moving smoothly. "Here we go."

"Yep," He nodded.

As the tram drove smoothly along the concrete, Shenzi snuggled on Chuckie's shoulder, enjoying the relaxing ride while they admired the scenery rolling by, their hands intertwined. The slight breeze was salvation to the heat, as was resting their legs. "I love your shirt," A girl who looked to be in her 20s complimented her.

"Thanks!" Shenzi smiled, and the girl turned to face forward again after nodding in "you're welcome."

"It is a great shirt," Chuckie added.

"Thanks, Chuck." She sighed happily, with her hand on her purse, which rested on her lap, "This is so relaxing."

"Yep," He nodded, letting himself lean onto her. They were surprised when another tram passed by, going in the opposite direction. After only a few serene minutes, the tram came to a slow stop at the park entrances. "Here we are," He pushed the door open, and helped his wife step out as the rest of the passengers disembarked.

* * *

 **(A/N: There's part one of Shenzi's 19th birthday! You know the disclaimer.)**


	4. Shenzi's Birthday Pt 2

**(A/N: I am so, so sorry for not updating for so long! I've just been busy! I wish I had this finished on April 19th, this tetralogy's 1 year anniversary. Anyway, enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 4

* * *

 _"Here we are," He pushed the door open, and helped his wife step out as the rest of the passengers disembarked._

"Oh boy!" She exclaimed excitedly. "We're almost there!"

"Yes we are," Chuckie nodded, as he loved seeing her so happy. But before long, in 9 months, she'll be even happier, if that was possible. Disney brought out more of her inner child than she usually showed, and it was adorable.

"Oh, wait!" Her voice snapped him back to reality.

"What's wrong?"

"I have to use the little girl's room," She replied sheepishly, "There's the bathroom over there. I'll be right back."

"You alright?"

"Yeah," She nodded, "I just have to pee. No big. I'll be out in a minute."

"'Kay." She then trotted to the restrooms, as Chuckie waited just outside. He watched people go by as he leaned against the structure. Against his will, the events of finding out she was missing years back flashed in his mind, along with the small argument they had before taking a break. He still mentally kicked himself for having such beliefs; He didn't need a fat wad of cash to keep her around! She said so! Why didn't he listen?! If he did, then they never would've taken that break, and she never would've gone missing. Despite her protests, he blamed himself fully, like Z did. If it wasn't for his stupid assumptions, she never would've been captured! Who else's fault will be? He wished he could go back in time, and resolve their argument, so her capture never happened.

"I'm do-o-one!" Shenzi practically bounded out of the restroom. "Let's get to... Chuckie, what's the matter?" She asked him in concern after noticing his somber demeanor.

"Huh, what?" He wiped away the tears that he didn't even know were in his eyes, and rolling down his cheeks.

"What are you crying about?" She wiped his last tears away.

"Sorry, Shen. I... I couldn't help but think of when we took that break, and... then..." He was unable to finish.

"Oh," She mumbled with a nod, "Well, you don't need to worry. I'm here, and I'm not leaving you anytime soon." She kissed away a stray tear, ignoring the slight salty taste. "I won't leave you ever again. Neither is our baby."

He sighed shakily, blinking away extra tears from his eyes. "Thanks, Shen." He kissed her lips, and embraced her tightly, with her returning it. After several seconds, they drew back, but their hands were on each other's shoulders. "Now, let's go celebrate your birthday, Disney style."

"'Kay," She giggled with excitement, then started walking with him, as their hands were intertwined once again. Before long, they were at the start of the very long line. "You got our tickets?"

"Yep," He took them out of his pocket, then stashed them back in safely.

"Wow, I'm so excited!" She bounced on her heels a bit.

"Me too," He held her closer by her shoulders.

"This is the best birthday ever!"

"I'm glad you're happy, Shen. I had a feeling this trip was a good idea. Your mother was a little concerned about you getting morning sickness while we're in a ride line, but I told her that by now, you'll be over that phase... I hope."

"I am," She giggled, "I'll be alright. All of my food is staying inside now." She patted her tummy. "Except when... nature calls, y'know." She glanced downward.

"Yeah," He nodded, as he stifled laughter. They both flinched in surprise when his phone rang in his other pocket.

"Who is it?" Shenzi asked him after he looked at the screen.

"It's Kimi," Chuckie replied, before pressing answer, "Hey, Kimi!"

"Hi, Chuckie!" She greeted him back. "How's Shenzi's birthday going?"

"It's going great," He replied, as the line shifted, "We had breakfast at that PCH Grill I told you about. Shenzi got a brownie, and we shared a cake."

"That sounds fun! How was the food there?"

"It was amazing. We're in line for the first park right now. So, what're you up to right now?"

"Tommy and I are trying to plan our wedding." Tommy Pickles had proposed to Kimi just after the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon, and were now planning their special day.

"Ah. Well, I wish you luck. I know it'll be amazing."

"Thanks, Chuck. I have to go look at wedding cakes. I'll call you later."

"'Kay. Love you."

"Love you too, bro."

"Bye."

"Bye." Chuckie hung up, and stashed his phone in his pocket.

"How's Kimi doing?" Shenzi asked him.

"She's doing good," He replied, "She and Tommy are planning their wedding."

"Ooh! I'm excited for that!"

"Me too, Shen. Tommy's the only guy I really trust with my baby sister."

She giggled a bit at that. "Frankie felt the same way about you, with me."

"Yep," He nodded, "And I'm glad she trusts me with you." He held her closer. "I wouldn't leave you for anything."

"Ditto," She agreed, and kissed his cheek as the line moved once again. "Man, I can't believe we're here on my birthday!"

"I had a feeling this trip was a good idea," He smiled down at her, "I knew you would love it."

"I do!" She bounced on the balls of her feet. "This is the best birthday ever! I can't wait until we get in there!"

"Well, we're getting pretty close," He pointed out, and sure enough, they were.

"Yay! I want to look for baby things in the shops for our future bundle of joy."

"Sounds good, but you might want to go with unisex items, considering we don't know the gender yet."

"Okay," She nodded. Before long, they were at the front of the line. "I'm so excited to be here!" She exclaimed as Chuckie gave their tickets to the employee. "It's my birthday today!"

"Well, happy birthday!"

"Thanks!"

"Okay, I hope you and your husband have a magical time."

"Thank you!"

"Thanks," Chuckie nodded, then led his wife through the entrance, before the classic Mickey Mouse floral art was clear in their sights. "Wow," He breathed out.

"It's so cool!" Shenzi whipped out her phone, and snapped a picture. As she stashed it back in her bag, the Disneyland train stopped at the station, filled with passengers, in front of them. She quickly snapped a picture of the train. The couple walked through the left archway, and into Main Street. They made a beeline to City Hall, where Shenzi received a birthday button, which Chuckie pinned on her shirt's right shoulder.

He then had an idea. "Hey, Shen?" She smiled up at him. "What do you say we take a horse carriage to the park? My legs and feet are a bit sore already."

"Sounds great!" She agreed. "My legs are a little achy too, as well as my feet." Hand-in-hand, they walked to the group of guests waiting for the next one. "I love this place!"

"Me too," He agreed with her.

"How can you afford to take me here?"

"I've been saving up," He shrugged, "The Java Lava pays good."

"Ah," She nodded, "Well, thanks. This means a lot to me." She hugged him tightly from the side.

"You're very welcome," He hugged her back, "Anything for you." He kissed her lips for a second, then kept her close. "I'm going to make sure this is the best birthday you've ever had."

"It already is," She laid her head on his shoulder, then stayed quiet, trying to think of something else to talk about. "Um, it sure is nice out."

"Yep," He nodded in agreement, "It's the perfect day to celebrate a lovely girl's birthday at the happiest place on Earth." Chuckie kissed Shenzi's temple as a blush flared up.

"Aww. And it's the perfect day to celebrate my birthday with the best husband ever." Just then, another carriage stopped in front of the group. "Ooh, there's the carriage!" Luckily, there was just enough room for the couple, as they carefully boarded, with Chuckie to Shenzi's right, and her in the middle. Once the carriage was fully occupied, the horse started walking along the track. "This is so relaxing," She leaned against him a few seconds after the carriage started moving.

"Yeah, it is," He supported his weight on her as well, with their hands connected, and her free hand on her slightly occupied tummy. Her breath hitched a bit when she suddenly felt his gentle hand on her midsection. "S-sorry," He stammered, drawing his hand away.

"It's okay," She assured him, "You just surprised me a bit."

"Should I not have my hand there?"

"As long as you don't tickle me, you can," She giggled.

"Alrighty then," He laid his hand back on her stomach, trying to keep his fingers still. "I can't wait until we can take our child here."

"Me neither," She agreed, "He or she will adore Disneyland, I just know it."

"I know it too." The couple stayed silent as they watched the scenery and other park guests pass by. They knew that their child was going to be a Disney baby after they would enter the world. They were both big Disney fans, especially Shenzi, so it was guaranteed that their offspring will become one as well. And plus, who doesn't like Disney? They gazed at the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse when they passed by it, before the horse stopped behind it. "Here's our stop." Chuckie and Shenzi disembarked along with the other passengers, then headed back for the statue. After taking pictures of it alone, of each other sitting in front of it, and asking a passerby to take one with both of them, they headed back to the castle walkthrough. After taking pictures, they walked underneath the huge, impressive walkway, glancing at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on the way, and to where the rides were. "What should we do first?"

"I dunno," Shenzi shrugged, "What do you want to do first?"

"Shen, it's your birthday," Chuckie insisted, "You pick the first ride we go on."

"Well alright," She gave in, "Hmm... ooh, the carousel! Let's ride that first!"

"Okay," He chuckled as she practically dragged him to the start of the line. As they waited, they watched the ride spin, with guests of all ages having a fun time. "It looks like the wait time is only 5 minutes," He pointed out to her after looking at the sign.

"Yay!" She cheered shortly. The couple couldn't help but watch the parents with their little children, on the ride and in line. Soon, if no problems should interfere, that was going to be them taking their own child to the happiest place on Earth, for the greatest day of their life, if not one of. It was going to be wonderful.

After the carousel ran one round, it slowed to a stop and the passengers disembarked as one cast member provided the safety precautions. Shenzi and Chuckie were able to ride next, as Chuckie hopped on a horse. "You need help?" He asked his wife when he noticed she was struggling a bit.

"Y-yeah," She nodded sheepishly, "Please?"

"Of course," He chuckled as he jumped down, and hoisted her up on the horse next to his. "There you go."

"Thanks!"

"You're very welcome." He stepped back on the horse next to hers, and they buckled themselves in. They held onto their poles as other guests boarded all around them. Chuckie was internally grateful that Shenzi wore shorts under her skirt, because if she wasn't, then she would be dangerously on the verge of flashing passengers and onlookers right now. She thinks ahead, just like him. After the safety rules were announced by routine, the music started playing; Shenzi gripped her pole in excitement as the carousel began slowly spinning. She smiled ecstatically at Chuckie, who smiled back as he gripped his pole. They looked back and forth from the scenery, to the other passengers, then at each other. When their horses were at an equal height, the couple kissed for a split second, then giggled and gazed at one another.

When a couple minutes had passed since the ride began, the spinning was slowing to a stop as the cast member announced the safety precautions. After the carousel stopped completely, Chuckie hopped off his horse and helped his wife down. They then walked through the exit gate as other guests boarded for their turn. "What should we ride next?"

"I don't know," He shrugged, their hands intertwined, "What do you want to do next?"

"Chuckie, I picked this first thing," She pointed out, "It's your turn to pick."

"But it's your birthday," He insisted.

"But coming here was your idea," She insisted back, "You're the one who's paying. Please?"

He sighed, then gave in to her slight pleading expression. A tiny smile and fluttering eyelashes was enough. "Okay, I'll pick next." Her smile grew with excitement as he took out the map. "Hmm... what about the Casey Jr. train?"

"Whatever the man wants," Shenzi took his hand, and led him to the ride line. "It looks like the wait time is 10 minutes."

"That's not too long," Chuckie shrugged, "At least it's nice out."

"Yep," She nodded in agreement. She looked down at her stomach, and couldn't help but smile excitedly at the concept of having a baby. Chuckie held her closer as he smiled with her. He was very excited of becoming a father as much as she was for being a mother. Life was good, and will be for the rest of it. As they waited, she received compliments on her outfit and wishes for a happy birthday. She laid her head on Chuckie's shoulder, and he rested his head on hers, as they took in the background noise; Music, chitter-chatter of other guests, ec cetera. She leaned up and kissed his cheek, giggling at his surprised, flushed expression. "I'm going to call my parents." She took out her phone, dialed her home number, and waited for an answer.

At the Tuck residence, Felicia's head shot up from the kitchen table when the phone rang. "I'll get it!" She exclaimed, running to the phone and answering it. "He-Hello?" She panted.

"Hey Mom," Shenzi replied, "Did you just run? You sound out of breath."

"Yeah, a little," She replied, "Anywho, happy birthday!"

"Thanks!"

"Where are you right now?"

"We're in line for the Casey Jr. train."

"Ooh, fun! Is it your first ride of the day?"

"Actually, it's the second," Shenzi replied, "We rode on the King Arthur carousel before this."

"Ah," Felicia nodded, "So, are you having a good birthday with Chuckie?"

"Absolutely," She replied, "This is the best birthday ever."

"I'm glad you're having fun. Are you almost at the front?"

"Um..." She looked ahead, before answering, "We're a bit more than halfway there."

"Oh, I'd better let you go then. Have fun; Tell Chuckie I said hi, and to keep you safe."

"I will."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Bye."

"Goodbye." She hung up, and turned to her husband. "Mom says hi, and to keep me safe."

"Ah," He chuckled at the last thing, "I'll do just that." He held her closer by her shoulders. "No one's going to hurt you today, or anytime in the future. I'll protect you at all cost."

"Thanks, Chuckie. And same for me; I'll protect you too." She leaned up, standing on her toes, and pecked his lips.

"Thanks, Shen."

They stayed quiet as they waited some more. Thankfully after a short time, they were granted permission to board. They decided to ride in a car that resembled a cage for some shade from the hot sun, while Shenzi giggled at the audio from the movie. As the train ran along the tracks, the couple snuggled up against each other, admiring the scenery rolling by. They laughed quietly at more audio as they rode up a hill. After a couple minutes, as they passed through a tunnel, the end of the ride was announced. After the train came to a complete stop, the passengers disembarked. "That was great!" She exclaimed.

"Yep," He nodded in agreement, "It's your turn to pick. What next, birthday girl?" He held the map out for her to see.

"Hmm..." She tried to decide, "Peter Pan!"

"Alright," He chuckled at her adorable, child-like excitement, "Whatever the lady wants." He led her to the start of the line, where they saw the wait time sign. "Dang, 40 minutes? That's long!"

"Yeah," She nodded, "But at least we'll be in the shade again."

"That is true," He shrugged, then waited with her. When they were behind the fence, they rested their forearms on it as they watched the hustle and bustle on the walkway. Shenzi loved seeing all the ear hats or headbands on guests of all ages, the face characters, the rides, ec cetera. She loved seeing everything the amazing parks had to offer.

Chuckie smiled as he watched his girlfriend admire the scenery before them. The way she looked when doing so made his heart thump in his chest. She was seriously beautiful, and adorable at the same time. He rested one hand on her shoulder, and kissed her cheek, making her smile up at him. "I just love it here," She remarked, laying on his chest.

"I love wherever you are," Chuckie hugged her a bit more firmly, "No matter where it is." When the line moved, the couple shifted out of their sweet embrace and followed along, until the current ships were fully occupied.

"Hey, Chuckie?"

He smiled down at his wife when she addressed him. "Yeah?"

"Going to Disney World with our friends after graduation was lots of fun, but... I love being here with only you," She admitted, "Just the two of us."

"Truthfully, I feel the same way, but with you," He kissed her head, "We have the whole day to ourselves, after all. I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Me neither." As they waited for their turn, the couple enjoyed the refreshing shade that the ride structure had to offer. It wasn't too hot out, but the sun made it seem more so. When his wife was standing in front of him, facing forward, Chuckie held her to his chest with his arms on her shoulders. She smiled as she relaxed in his loving, comforting embrace. They hated to break away, but when the line moved, they had to, so they reluctantly stood side by side, and moved with the line.

Soon after, they were granted permission to board one of the ships, so they decided on one with blue sails and got comfortable, Shenzi to the right and Chuckie to her left in the middle. As they seemingly soared, snapping pictures for sentimentality with their phones, they admired everything the attraction contained, from the beautiful lights of London, to the amazing scenery of movie scenes associated with audio. Shenzi even spotted Ariel in the mermaid lagoon for a split second! After disembarking, they walked outside in the fresh air. "That was awesome!" Shenzi exclaimed. "What's next?"

"Umm," Chuckie took out the map, "How about we grab some lunch? I'm getting a bit hungry."

"Sounds good to me," She nodded, "What is there nearby?" She looked at the map with him, and one spot caught her eye. "How about here?"

* * *

 **(A/N: Ha, minor cliffhanger. XD You know the disclaimer.)**


	5. Shenzi's Birthday Pt 3

**(A/N: Sorry I took a while to update! I was initially unaware of the Village Haus getting changed. Enjoy anyway!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 4

* * *

" _How about we grab some lunch? I'm getting a bit hungry."_

 _"Sounds good to me," She nodded, "What is there nearby?"_

 _She looked at the map with him, and one spot caught her eye. "How about here?"_

"The Red Rose Taverne?" He confirmed.

"Yep!" She nodded. "I hear the food's amazing there! Come on!" She took the map and started leading her amused husband to their destination.

"What kind of food do they have?" He asked her.

"French," She replied, keeping her eyes on the map, "So there'll be French fries, possibly rank-smelling cheese, all that. But I'm pretty sure it mostly has classic lunch fare."

"That sounds great." Chuckie's stomach growled at her description. "I'm getting hungry."

"Me too," She giggled, then looked up. "There it is! We're here!" She folded up the map, and gave it back to him. After they were at a table, they looked at the menu to decide on their food. "What're you getting?" She asked him.

"Hmm..." Chuckie thought about it, "Maybe the Garden Mozzarella flatbread."

"Ooh, that sounds good," Shenzi replied, "I'm going to get a chopped salad with grilled chicken."

"That sounds nice," He set his menu down, "I'm glad you're eating something containing protein with your salad. I don't want you malnourished again."

"I agree," She nodded, "It was not pleasant, and I don't want to go through it again."

"Also, don't be ashamed to order dessert if you want it," He chuckled, making her giggle, "Since you're feeding two stomachs, it's nothing to be embarrassed of."

"Alright," She agreed to it, "The Lemon Rose Cake looks pretty good. Kinda filling."

"If it's too much for you, we can share it. Get one piece, though, just in case."

"Okay, thanks, Chuckie."

"No prob." He kissed her cheek. "Is your birthday still going great for you?"

"Oh yeah," She nodded, "Absolutely. It's still the best ever."

"I'm glad," He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I've been planning this trip for quite a while. Heck, before you announced your pregnancy, I was reading a Disneyland book."

"Really?" She giggled.

"Yeah," He nodded, "I wanted to give you the best birthday I could think of, and ordered that book before our wedding."

"Wow, it's been that long?" Shenzi's eyes widened. "I had no idea!"

"That's why I was hiding that package as much as I did," He smirked.

"Oh yeah," She giggled.

l-l

 _Just days before the wedding, Shenzi was at the Finster residence, spending time with her soon-to-be husband. They were snuggling on the couch, watching the rain patter on the windows, due to the TV signal glitching out. They hoped that the weather would improve before the big day; They didn't know what they'd do if their wedding was somehow rained out. It would a disaster._

 _They looked up when the door was knocked on. "'Scuse me for a second." Chuckie stood on the floor, and walked to the door after Shenzi nodded. His heart jumped when he saw what had arrived, from the label; The Disneyland book he ordered, to plan his soon-to-be wife's birthday! "Th-thanks," He stammered to the mailman, who nodded back and closed the door for him as he tried to hide the package._

 _"What's in there?" Shenzi asked him, making his heart freeze._

 _"Uh..." He drew out, "It's a uh... new toilet seat! It heats up, a-and vibrates! I'll just... put it in my room, for now! Be right back!" He made a break for his room as fast as he could with the package. He was just glad it wasn't huge, or too heavy. Shenzi giggled at his flustered manner, before he hastily closed the door._

 _Chuckie quickly tore the box open, hid the book in his closet, and came back out with the empty box. "I'll leave this here before I take out the trash."_

 _"'Kay," She nodded._

l-l

"I wondered why you were being so secretive," She remarked.

"And now you know," He shrugged.

"Yep, I do," She hugged him from the side, "It was, and is worth the nagging feeling of snoopy-pants."

"Ah," He chuckled, "Well, I'm glad you controlled yourself. I don't know what I would've done if the surprise was ruined somehow. I'm just glad that Kimi was at Tommy's house at the time. It seems like she can't keep a secret."

"Yeah," She agreed with him.

"Hello," A waiter came to their table, "My name is Trevor, and I'll be your waiter. How can I help you?"

"Yeah, uh," Chuckie found his choice on the menu again, "I'd like the Garden Mozzarella Flatbread, please, and I'll try that brew."

"I'll take a Chef's Chopped Salad with grilled chicken, and a small Coke," Shenzi decided, "P-please."

"Alright, coming right up," Trevor nodded, "I'll take these for you." He grabbed the menus, "Your food will be ready momentarily."

"It's my birthday today!" Shenzi tapped her pin with excitement.

"Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks!" With that, he walked to the kitchen. "I hope our food doesn't take too long," She remarked.

"I don't think the food will take too long," Chuckie shrugged with a smirk, "I can't count on the chefs, though." They shared a laugh at his joke.

"You know what I mean," Shenzi giggled.

"Yeah, I know," He chuckled, "But still, I hope we don't have to wait too long either. I'm getting hungry again."

"Me too," She nodded, "Um, I-I can pay for my food."

"No, no," He shook his head, "I'll take care of it."

"I can't let you run out of..."

"It'll be fine," He insisted, "It's my treat, just like this trip. Trust me; I got it."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Seriously," He tucked her chin, making her blush, "Just let me worry about the money, okay?"

"Mm... okay," She gave in, "But I'll use my own money for any souvenirs that I pick out. Deal?"

Chuckie set his hand over hers. "Deal." The couple rested their foreheads together, their cheeks blushing as Shenzi giggled quietly. "I love you, Shen."

"I love you too, Chuck." They shared a kiss for a couple seconds, then leaned against each other, feeling grateful that they decided to sit side-by-side instead of across from one another. "You want to go wash up before our food comes?"

"Yeah," He nodded, "You can go first, in case you need to... powder your nose."

"Thanks," She giggled and stood up, "Back in a jiff." She trotted to the women's restroom.

Chuckie rested his cheek on the backs of his fingers as he watched her. He loved how she was as happy and giddy as a child at Toys R' Us when at any Disney park. It was adorable. He also loved how she appreciated anything and everything he had given to her, from his old shirt, to that shirt he made with their school logo, which she traded for concert tickets for both of them, making him foolishly get angry with her. He shook that memory out of his head, not wanting his depression over an old memory to ruin his wife's special day. When he looked up, she was walking back to the table, but didn't sit back in the booth seat. "I'm done," She announced, "You can go."

"Alright," He nodded as he slid out, "I'll be back in a minute." He walked to the men's restroom as she watched him. She loved the stained glass windows/pictures, the character portraits, the chandeliers; All of the interior, really. Too bad it was only a limited time, though. She took out her phone, and snapped pictures all around as she waited for her husband to return. She was unaware of Chuckie walking back to the table, before he leaned in front of her camera shot. "Can I be in the picture?" He jokingly requested as she flinched in surprise, accidentally snapping a photo of him. "Sorry," He chuckled when her hand covered her heart, "I couldn't resist." She stood up, and let him slide back in the booth, then slid in closely next to him. "Were you taking photos of the restaurant?"

"Yeah," She nodded, "I heard that this makeover to Village Haus is temporary, so I thought I'd may as well save it. Nothing against Pinocchio or anything; I just love Beauty and the Beast."

"Good idea," He complimented her, "May as well reserve the memory while you still can. I think I will too." He took his phone out, and started taking pictures of his own, remaining entirely focused. He briefly paused when their drinks came.

When he turned to the entrance, Shenzi suddenly popped up in the camera shot. "Boo!"

Chuckie jumped a bit, snapping the picture by accident, and laughed with her. "Very funny."

"Thanks," She giggled, and slid back in the booth. "Sorry, I had to do that after you did it to me."

"It's okay," He assured her, then showed the picture with her in it. "It's pretty cute, actually," He chuckled.

"I guess," She shrugged modestly, "So does the one I took with you in it." She showed him the picture, where he was kneeling down to get his face in view.

"Not too bad, I guess," He laughed a bit. They texted their respective parents and sisters, plus their friends, with the pictures to tell them how their day was going. They then received texts back, wishing them a good day.

After a few minutes, their waiter Trevor came back with their food. "Okay, here's your Garden Mozzarella Flatbread, sir." He set the plate in front of the redhead.

"Thanks."

"And for the lady, a Chef's Chopped Salad with Grilled Chicken."

Shenzi rubbed her hands together in satisfaction as the bowl was set in front of her. "Thank you!"

"Enjoy your meals." Trevor walked to another table to serve a group that just arrived.

"How's your salad?" Chuckie asked his wife after swallowing a bite of his flatbread.

"It's great," She replied, "What about your flatbread?"

"It's really good," He nodded, then took another bite. "You want to try a little bit?" He offered after swallowing.

"Hmm, okay, thanks," She decided, and playfully gnarled a bite off of one piece, amusing him. "Wow, that's good!" She exclaimed after swallowing. "You want to try a bit of my salad?"

"Alright," He shrugged, and scooped up a spoonful, amusing her by how he made sure to get a lot of chicken, and ate it up. "Hey, that's great." The two ate their meals, occasionally smiling at one another. "You want to try Gaston's brew?" He smirked.

"There's no backwash, is there?" She asked him.

"Pfft, please," He scoffed, then leaned closer to her head, "You're pregnant now," He whispered in her ear, "I've clearly done much worse."

Shenzi almost choked on her own spit as she tried hard not to laugh out loud, her cheeks blushing a deep red. After recovering, she drew her hand away from her mouth. "You've got a good point there," She whispered in his ear with a giggle, then leaned away and spoke at a normal volume. "Alright, I'll try a bit." She carefully grabbed it by the souvenir mug handle, and put the cup rim up to her lips. Chuckie smirked at the slurp she produced from sipping the drink, then she swallowed and put the cup down. "Dang, that's good! What flavor is it?"

"It's apple and mango, with passion fruit foam," He explained, "I saw it on the menu."

"Ah," She nodded, then took a bite of her salad, her eyes lingering on his mug.

"You want another sip?" He chuckled at her slight longing expression. "I don't mind."

"Yeah," She nodded, "Thanks Chuckie."

"You're very welcome, Shen."

She took another sip, savoring the citrus-y taste, then focused on her salad again, as Chuckie ate his flatbread. After a few minutes, they were finished, and Trevor came up to him. "Did you enjoy your meals?"

"Oh yes," Shenzi nodded.

"Very good," Chuckie nodded.

"Would you like some dessert?"

"Mm... yeah," She nodded after thinking about it, "How big is the Lemon Rose Cake?"

"It's about... as big as the mug," Trevor replied to her question, gesturing to Chuckie's brew mug, "And it's about... this tall," He hovered his hand around 4 to 5 inches above the table. "Would you like to try that, miss?"

"Umm... yeah, I do," She nodded, "It sounds great."

"Alright," He wrote down her order, "And what about you, sir?"

"I'll... I'll try the Grey Stuff," He decided.

Trevor wrote down his order. "I'll be back with your desserts momentarily." He then walked to the kitchen.

"So the baby's not satisfied yet?" He chuckled at his wife.

"Not yet," Shenzi giggled, "I'm not really feeling that full. Salad isn't that filling, even with chicken in it."

"True," Chuckie shrugged, "I guess our child will be a big eater after they're born, if not now."

"Yep," She nodded.

"Um," He tried to think of anything else to say, "What's in that cake you ordered?"

"It has a strawberry rose filling inside of it," She explained, "I don't know what the rose part means, considering it's generally not a food product, but I like strawberries."

"Ah," He nodded.

"What's in the Grey Stuff?"

"It has a raspberry filling," He explained.

"Ooh, that sounds good."

"You can try a bit of it, if you want."

"That sounds great, thanks," She accepted his offer, "I'll let you try my rose cake too."

"Thanks, sweetheart."

"No prob," She kissed his cheek on one of his freckles, close to his glasses, then laid on his shoulder.

After a few minutes, Trevor came back to their table, carrying a tray with their desserts on it. "Firstly, here is your Grey Stuff, sir." He set the small plate in front of Chuckie.

"Thanks."

"And for you, miss, your Lemon Rose Cake."

"Thanks!" She smiled in anticipation. After Trevor walked to the kitchen, she took a small bite without the filling first. "Wow, that's good." She then tried the filling, and perked up. "Ooh, really good!" After swallowing her bites, she turned to her husband. "How's your Grey Stuff?"

"It's great," He replied after swallowing, "You want to try a bite?"

"Uh huh," She nodded. Chuckie took her spoon after she offered it to him, he scooped a small amount with filling contained, and carefully gave it back to her. After gingerly grabbing the spoon, she ate the treat he gave her, and raised her eyebrows up. "That's good," She said after swallowing. "Now it's your turn, Finster." She took his spoon in one hand.

"I can't wait... Finster," He chuckled teasingly at her. She had changed her surname to "Tuck-Finster" shortly after their marriage, believing that adding Finster to her maiden name sounded more catchy than the former alone. She sliced a small piece with the strawberry filling, and offered it to him. She giggled when he ate from his spoon instead of taking it. "That's really good," He nodded after swallowing.

"That's good, I'm glad you like it," She nodded with him, before they focused on their own desserts.

Once they were done, Chuckie paid the bill with his credit card, gently protesting yet again at Shenzi's insisting that she pay for her meal. "You two have a good day," Trevor greeted them as they stood up.

"Thanks!" She waved, and followed Chuckie as they walked out in the fresh air. "That was delicious!"

"Yep," He nodded, "I'm glad you liked it. Why don't we sit for a bit, so our food can digest?"

"'Kay," She nodded, and they sat on a bench. "What do you think we should do first? After our food digests?"

"Hmm..." He took the map out of his pocket, and unfolded it. "Let's see what's nearby."

* * *

 **(A/N: I was going to add more to this chapter, but I decided that it's long enough. You know the disclaimer.)**


	6. Shenzi's Birthday Pt 4

**(A/N: Sorry I took so long! Enjoy this next chapter!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 5

* * *

 _"What do you think we should do first? After our food digests?"_

 _"Hmm..." He took the map out of his pocket, and unfolded it. "Let's see what's nearby."_

The couple looked at the map together, trying to decide what to ride on. "What should we do, Chuckie? Which one of us picked last time?"

"Umm, I can't remember," He shrugged, "Why don't you pick?"

"You sure?" She asked him. "If you have something in mind..."

"I'm sure," He assured her, "This is your special day, Shen. I'll pick the next one, okay?"

"Well, alright," She gave in, and looked at the map again. "Umm... ooh, there's the Dumbo ride! Let's go there!"

"Alright," He chuckled, "We'll let our food finish digesting while we're in line."

"Yay!" She cheered shortly, as he led her to the ride she decided on.

Chuckie folded up the map and stored it in his pocket after they arrived at the line. "Okay, it shouldn't be too long a wait."

"I hope it's not," Shenzi remarked, "This'll be great!"

"Yep," He nodded, "Just like everything else here," He added with a little chuckle. "It seems we'll be waiting for almost a half hour."

"At least our food will be digested by then," She pointed out.

"That is true," He agreed with her. He was concerned when she put her hands on her stomach. "A-are you okay?"

"Yeah," She nodded, "Just digesting."

"Does your stomach hurt?"

"A bit," She shrugged.

"Um..." He hesitated, "Want me to rub it a little?"

"Mmm... sure," She nodded, and let her hands hang freely, "That'd be great. Thanks."

"My pleasure." He started gently rubbing her growling stomach with his right hand, and his left on her shoulder as he tried to not tickle her, or go up too high. She let a relaxed smile grow, as she laid her head on his shoulder. They received strange looks from some witnesses, but ignored them. They watched as the ride slowly spun around, with excited yells from kids.

After a few minutes passed, and they were close to the front, she looked up at her husband. "Okay, I'm better."

"Good," He drew his hand away from her stomach, "I'm glad you're better."

"Thanks."

"No prob, Shen." He kissed her temple, and she laid her head on his shoulder.

When they were at the front, Shenzi perked up with excitement. After being granted access to board, she led Chuckie to one of the Dumbo-like seats, one with a pink hat and collar, and sat to his right. They settled in their seat as the safety recommendations were spoken, and waited patiently, yet excitedly. When they heard Timothy Mouse's voice, they smiled in anticipation, before the ride started spinning. "Wheeee!" Shenzi exclaimed with ecstasy, amusing Chuckie. They watched as the scenery passed by at a moderately quick speed, while holding onto the ledge. Chuckie took out his phone, using the wrist strap, turned the camera on, held his arm out, and snapped a picture of himself and his lovely wife having a blast. She had her arms up at the time, with a big smile on her face. He then held his phone between his knees carefully, and enjoyed the rest of the ride with her. After it stopped and lowered everyone back down, the couple exited the attraction. "Woohoo! That was great! What's next?"

Chuckie took out the map, and they looked at it together. "Hmm..." He was amused when she had a hesitant look on her face. "Babe, if you have your heart set on another ride, you can tell me. You can choose again."

"Umm... how about the teacups?" She suggested with a hint of hesitance.

"To the teacups we go," He nodded, and led her to the ride close by.

"Yay!" When they entered the line, the music started playing as the ride began spinning. "I love the music."

"Me too." Chuckie smiled when she started whistling to it. She wasn't afraid to act child-like, but he didn't mind. It was cute to him. When they had a good view, the couple watched the ride spin. "Which cup do you want to go in?"

"Umm..." She tried to decide, "The pink hearts! No, no! Uh, the clubs!"

"Take your time," He chuckled.

"I can't pick just one! They're all so pretty!"

"How about I pick?" He suggested.

"Okay!" She nodded. "Which do you want?"

"Hmm..." He tried to pick one, having a slightly difficult time with the ride spinning. "How about the one with the flames?"

"Okay," She agreed, "Sounds great! Can I spin it?"

"We'll spin it together," He compromised, because he also wanted to do it.

"Awesome! But... those aren't flames," She giggled, "Those are roses."

He looked closer, and saw that she was right. "... Oh," He chuckled, "My mistake."

"It's okay," She assured him, "This is going to be fun!"

"I just hope our lunches stay inside our stomachs," He smirked, "They were pricey."

"Me too," She giggled, "Can we get a little snack after we ride this?"

"Alright," He nodded, "We'll see what we encounter."

"Okay. Um, what's the wait time? Or did you not see it?"

"The time for this ride, or for a snack?" He snickered.

"The ride!" She giggled.

"The sign said 11 minutes," He answered her question.

"Oh, that's not too long. And it's already been 4 minutes."

"Yep," He nodded. She started whistling to the catchy tune again after a moment of silence, and he decided to join her. This went for about two minutes as the line moved a couple times. When they had a full view of the ride, Shenzi rested her forearms on the fence as she and her husband watched the teacups spin. Chuckie had his arms around her shoulders, and his head resting at an angle on hers, as he stood closely next to her. "That mug from the Red Rose Taverne is in my backpack, right?" He asked her.

"Yep," She nodded, "It's safe and sound."

"That's good. I want to reserve any souvenir and memory we get."

"Me too," She agreed with him. "In fact..." She took out her phone, and snapped a picture of the teacups after it stopped and everyone disembarked. "Let's get in!" Chuckie followed his wife to the cup of their choice, and they sat next to each other.

"Hello," A very familiar woman came up to them, "Is it alright if I... wait, Mr. Finster? Ms. Tuck?"

The couple immediately recognized her. "Ms. O'Keats?!" Chuckie's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Hi!" Shenzi exclaimed. "Yeah, s-sure! Go ahead! Sit with us!" After Chuckie nodded, Ms. O'Keats sat across from them.

"How have you kids been since you graduated?" Their former English teacher asked them over the safety recommendations.

"We've been great," Chuckie replied.

"We uh, we got married recently," Shenzi added, as she and her husband held out their right hands, letting their rings shine in the sun.

"Oh, congratulations! I always had a feeling you two would tie the knot."

The black-haired girl blushed at that. "Thanks. And uh... we're expecting our first child."

"That's wonderful!" Ms. O'Keats exclaimed. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Shenzi shrugged timidly, "It's a little early to determine the gender, but we're really excited."

"Either gender is perfectly fine with us," Chuckie added.

Ms. O'Keats nodded at that. "So, what brings you turtledoves here?"

"We're celebrating my birthday, Disney style," Shenzi replied, tapping the yellow and purple pin on her shirt.

"Oh, happy birthday!"

"Thanks," She shrugged modestly, "I'm 19 now, and this whole trip was a big surpri-Oh!" Just then, the ride started spinning. "Whee!" She, Chuckie, and their former teacher spun their cup with great enthusiasm, their hair blowing in the breeze. Chuckie slumped back and held onto the seat when he started feeling dizzy, leaving the girls to do the spinning. When they heard the safety recommendations for the end of the ride, they drew their hands away from the spinner, and waited for their cup to stop. "That was so much fun!" Shenzi exclaimed as they disembarked. She giggled when Chuckie literally stumbled out of the cup, and almost fell on her after she snapped a picture of their cup. "You okay, Chuckie?"

"Y-yeah, I'm good," He replied, holding onto her shoulders, "Just a little tipsy." The teens followed Ms. O'Keats to the exit, then she led her husband to a bench.

"You need to sit?"

"Yeah," He nodded, "Just for a minute." To her amusement, he laid on his side, so he was facing the walking guests. "Phew." She blushed at his hair draping over his face in separate strands.

"Oh, I'd better get going," Ms. O'Keats looked at her watch, "Don't want to be late for my reservation at the Red Rose Taverne."

"We just ate there!" Shenzi giggled. "The food is great. I recommend the brew."

"Alright," The red-haired woman nodded, "You two have a good day! Happy birthday, Ms. Tuck! I mean, Mrs. Finster. And congratulations on your little bundle of joy!"

"Thanks! Bye!" Shenzi waved as their former teacher walked away.

"Bye, ma'am," Chuckie waved weakly.

She knelt down on the ground, so she was eye-level with him. "How you doin', Chuck?" She stroked his hair and bangs tenderly.

"The world is still spinning a bit," He replied with a hand on his forehead for emphasis. They ignored the stares they received from other guests. "I'm glad you had fun; I did too."

"That's good," She pecked his lips, "You want to pick the next ride?"

"Mmm, sure," Chuckie shrugged, "But once my brain gets back in order."

She stifled giggles at that. "We weren't going that fast."

"Oh, I know. I was just kidding." He slowly pushed himself up, then held out the map after Shenzi sat next to him.

"Anything you like nearby?"

"Hmm..." He skimmed over the area they were in, then made his decision. "How about Alice in Wonderland?"

"Whatever Dizzy wants," She giggled, making him chuckle as they stood on the concrete, and they headed for their destination. After only a few seconds, they arrived at the start of the line. "Here we are!"

"Yep," Chuckie nodded as he re-folded the map, and kept it in his pocket. "Y'know, I was scared of this ride when I was little."

"Me too," She giggled, then looked at the wait time sign, "Wow, it's almost half an hour."

"Dang," He remarked, "Well, it could be worse."

"Yeah, true," She shrugged.

After a moment of silence, Chuckie turned to her. "Um, Shen?" She looked up at him with a smile, making his heart skip. "What's your favorite part about Alice in Wonderland?"

She thought about it for a second, then responded. "I just like how everything is nonsense. And call me weird, but I like the color schemes of the characters, especially Alice. I dunno; The white, black, yellow, and blue together are just appealing to me. It's the same with Ariel."

"Ah," He nodded, "It's not weird. I think those colors work together well too. Maybe you can dress as either of them for Halloween this year."

"Maybe," She shrugged again, "Depending on how big my tummy gets." She patted her stomach.

"If you're too tired to dress up at the time, you don't have to," He assured her.

"Thanks, Chuckie."

"No prob," He ruffled her hair like she was a child, making her giggle, "You should be about 2 months along at that time. I have no idea how maternity works, so I can't say how big your stomach will get." He playfully poked her belly button.

"Eek! Hehehe!" She giggled and laid a hand over her belly for protection. "Don't tickle me here!"

"Just not here? Alright then," He shrugged with a smirk, then leaned down to her head, his chin close to her hair, "Just you wait until we're in our room, Missy," He gently whispered in her ear.

"Uh oh," She muttered, while stifling giggles with her hands around her midsection, where it was bared. She could already feel his fingers on her sensitive sides, and in her belly button.

Before long, the half hour passed, and they were very close to the front. The couple watched as a pink and purple caterpillar car rode off, filled with ecstatic passengers. Chuckie estimated that they would wait at least one more time before boarding. "I wonder which one we'll get," Shenzi voiced her thoughts, "I mean which color."

"Maybe it'll be green," He shrugged, "Or blue. Possibly yellow. We'll see."

"Want to sit up front?"

"Umm... how 'bout the back?"

"Sounds good," She nodded, and they then stayed silent as they waited casually. They snapped pictures of the themed scenery around the line as another group of guests boarded the next caterpillar, which was green. When it was their turn, a pink two-tone caterpillar stopped. "Ooh, pink," She remarked as she boarded first, after Chuckie persuaded her with the "small children first" rule that was on the sign. She sat in the middle, with him to her left, both feeling relieved at having the row to themselves as other guests boarded. Soon, after the safety recommendations were given, their caterpillar started moving.

"Here we go," Chuckie remarked.

"Yep," Shenzi nodded with excitement.

They took pictures of the scenery as they passed it, before they entered the cave. As they heard Alice's narration, telling the guests her adventure, they were awe-struck at the projection of the vertical tunnel scene. After encountering the talking door, they rode through a forest, where they saw the Tweedle twins, and the White Rabbit. Shenzi sang along when they passed by the talking flowers, to Chuckie's amusement and delight. They then passed the caterpillar from the movie, and a flower that supposedly referred to the passengers as "weeds". They then entered Tulgey Wood, where they saw the Cheshire Cat, before all of him disappeared except his eyes and signature grin, and various odd birds.

"Those little hammer birds are cute," Shenzi giggled as she snapped a quick picture of them, leaving her flash off.

Then they entered the hedge maze, where playing cards were painting white roses red and marching around, while the Queen of Hearts was playing croquet. They were surprised at the hedgehog rolling by and crashing into heart-shaped rose bushes, before encountering the now angry queen, and a screenplay of raining cards. They rode through two opening doorways, then were outside on top of the structure.

"Ah," Shenzi sighed in relaxation, "Fresh air."

"Yep," Chuckie nodded.

They took pictures of the scenery to their left, and the mountain to their right. After passing by the station, they entered the structure again, where the unbirthday tea party was going on. They were then back to the station, where they disembarked after their caterpillar stopped in the right place. "Well, that was fun!" Shenzi remarked as Chuckie took out the map. "What's next?"

* * *

 **(A/N: You know the disclaimer. Sorry if their day is dragging by. I just want to use as much detail for Disneyland as I can.)**


	7. Shenzi's Birthday Pt 5

**(A/N: I'm sorry I haven't been active lately! I came down with a cold last Tuesday [the 6th], but it's close to going away. Writers' block is to blame as well. Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 6

* * *

 _"Well, that was fun!" Shenzi remarked as Chuckie took out the map. "What's next?"_

"Hmm... what do you want to do?" He asked her.

She looked over the map, before a ride nearby caught her eye. "Ooh, Autopia! I loved riding that when I was little!"

"Autopia it is," He nodded, and they headed for that area.

As they walked, they passed by a snack cart by Star Tours with a short line. "Oh, Chuckie! Can we get a snack real quick?"

"Sure," He nodded, and led her to the start of the line. "What would you like?"

"Umm... a Mickey cheese pretzel!"

"Whatever the mother of my baby wants," He kissed her cheek, "I packed Lactaids."

"Yay," She smiled, "What're you getting?"

"Um, I... I was thinking that we could share one pretzel," He admitted.

"Oh, we can do that!" She agreed to it. "They seem kinda big anyway."

"Yep," He nodded, "Even for little, pregnant you."

"Are you saying I'm fat?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"N-no, no!" He stammered nervously. "Nope!"

"Relax, I'm kidding," She giggled, "Although you should be prepared for mood swings from me later on, mister. Plus weird food cravings, constant bathroom breaks, ec cetera."

"I understand," He chuckled, "I'll try to brace myself."

"'Kay," She nodded, and they waited in silence. "I uh, I hope our pretzel digests before we go on Autopia."

"Me too," He agreed with her.

"How may I help you today?" The woman at the cart asked them once they were up.

"Can we please get a Mickey cheese pretzel?" Chuckie requested. "We're sharing it."

"Today's my birthday!" Shenzi blurted out.

"Oh, happy birthday! I'll get started on that pretzel."

"Thanks," He nodded, "We're Chuckie and Shenzi."

"Alright," The woman nodded, "Your pretzel will be finished momentarily."

"Thanks!" Shenzi exclaimed happily.

After a few minutes, they got their pretzel after hearing their names, and sat on an empty bench nearby. "You want the first bite?" He asked her.

"Uh huh!" She nodded, and playfully gnarled off a small amount after taking a Lactaid. "Mmm! That's good!"

"Is it?" Chuckie took a bite, and raised his eyebrows. "Wow, that is good," He remarked after swallowing. After they finished, they headed for Autopia, with Chuckie leading the way. When a few minutes passed, he folded up the map. "Here we are," He announced, and they stopped at the start of the line. "What color car do you want?"

"Doesn't matter," She shrugged, feeling hesitant.

"Shen," He smirked, "You can choose whichever you want. Any of them are fine with me."

"Umm... how about black?"

"Whatever the lady desires," He patted his wife's head, making her giggle, "It looks like we'll have to wait 13 minutes."

"Oh, that's not too long," She shrugged, "At least our pretzel will digest."

"Yep," He nodded, "This ride looks like a fun one."

"Oh, it is," She assured him, "You'll enjoy it, I know it."

"I trust you on that," He smiled, and kissed her temple.

After several minutes, they were at the front of the line. "I hope there's a black car available," Shenzi expressed her hope as she and her husband followed the walkway to the boarding area. But when they were on their way to their destination, a couple of obnoxious teenagers behind them pushed ahead of them, almost knocking her over, and claimed the black car. "Aww," She frowned sadly.

"Some people," He shook his head, "Come on, Shen. Let's go in a red one."

"Okay!" She perked up, and they quickly sat in the red car, with Chuckie in the driver's seat.

"You sure you don't want to drive?" He asked her.

"Oh no, that's okay," She assured him, while buckling her seat belt. "This is your first time, not mine. You go ahead."

"Well, if you say so," Chuckie buckled himself in, and prepared for driving. "Besides, you need to relax anyway."

"True," She nodded, then noticed that the safety recommendations were coming to an end. "Get ready... go!" With that, Chuckie started gently pushing on the gas pedal. "Whee!" She squealed excitedly, making him smile.

"This is nice," He remarked.

"Yep," She nodded, "Very relaxing." She snapped pictures of the Asimo robots as Chuckie "drove" smoothly along the track. For fun, he moved the steering wheel in the same directions as the track. At the bridge, he pushed on the gas pedal a bit harder, surprising his wife when they were going faster. "Whee! This is great!" She held onto the car during the turns, and when Chuckie slowed to a stop near the end. They then disembarked, and were back on the concrete. "That was fun! What's next?"

"Hmm... how about we head back to Fantasyland?" He suggested after taking out the map. "Man, why are the Haunted Mansion and Small World so far apart?"

"I wish I knew," She shrugged, "Come on, let's head to Fantasyland."

Before they could walk too far, something caught Chuckie's eye. "Hmm... Shen, you want to ride the monorail there? It'll save a lot of time."

"Sure!" She nodded, then looked at the map. "Ohh, wait... there's no station close to Fantasyland."

He looked, and saw his mistake. "... Oh. That's a bummer; I wanted to ride the monorail. Hmmm..." He then thought of a solution. "Hey, I know! Let's ride the monorail, then take the train! That way, we'll save time and rest our legs and feet."

"Good idea!" She nodded, and they headed for the monorail station nearby. They glanced at the Autopia track on the way to their destination.

"A-a-a-an-n-n-nd," Chuckie drew out, "After we ride It's a Small World, the Haunted Mansion, and anything else you have in mind, we'll take the train back to the downtown district, and head to California Adventure."

"Okay," She nodded, "Sounds good."

After a few minutes, she took out her phone and opened up a game on it. "What'cha doin'?" Chuckie asked her.

"I'm playing this new game I got," She replied, "Disney Crossy Road."

"Crossy?" He smirked.

"It's a great game," She giggled, "I've been playing it on and off for a few days now. Although I forgot until today."

"Ah," He nodded. As she played, he gently guided her along the line when it moved, making her briefly smile up at him.

"You want to try?" She offered after completing one course.

"Sure," He shrugged, and held onto her phone. After he selected a character, he began playing. "Hey, this is fun," He remarked as he guided Mickey across the road. "D'oh! Got hit." He gave the phone back to his giggling wife. "That is a fun game."

"Yep," She nodded, and turned her phone off. After stashing it in her purse, she sneaked her hand in his, and their fingers locked together. As they waited, she laid her head on his shoulder, exhaling quietly in relaxation, and he rested his head on hers. "I love you," She mumbled.

"I love you too," Chuckie whispered and kissed her dark hair.

After a few minutes, they were granted permission to board. The couple chose a bench near the entrance, and made themselves comfortable as other guests boarded. Shenzi set her purse in her lap, held onto it securely, and laid back on Chuckie's shoulder. After the safety recommendations were given, the monorail started moving, heading for the downtown area. Her eyes started drooping as the car smoothly rode along the track. Chuckie noticed that she was drowsy after she let out a yawn and a sleepy moan. "You can sleep for a bit if you're tired. I'll wake you up when we get there." He rubbed her arm in a soothing way, so she snuggled up in his shoulder, and let her heavy eyelids close. She shifted a bit, so she was facing her husband's right side, and her hair almost completely concealed her face like a dark, silky curtain drape. He held her closer with his arm on her back and his hand at her elbow, quickly catching her purse when it started to fall from her lap. He held onto it as his wife made herself comfortable in her peaceful slumber.

Chuckie kissed her forehead at her hairline, and rubbed her arm again as she snuggled deeper in his soft shirt. Throughout the excitement that the day offered, he was still in shock that she was pregnant with his child. He had overheard his parents wishing for grandkids, and they were going to get one. Whether it was going to be a handsome boy or a beautiful girl, he was overjoyed at the concept of becoming a father. Not to mention he was blessed for the baby to have such a beautiful, loving mother.

Speaking of which, he looked down when he heard his wife mumble quietly and shift in her sleep. "M-Marvin for boy, Maya for girl." He smiled at that; She must've been dreaming about their child, deciding on a name. He had a feeling that she chose Marvin for a boy, after his now late grandfather, and Maya for a girl, after her birth mother. He loved both choices, and couldn't wait to pick one when the gender is confirmed.

When he heard the announcement that they were arriving at the downtown station, he looked back down at Shenzi after glancing at the ceiling. "Shen?" He whispered to her face, but she stirred a bit and stayed asleep. "Shen?" He gently poked her side where it was bared, making her flinch harshly.

"Eek!" She squeaked, gaining other guests' attention. "Are we there yet?" She giggled.

"Yep," He nodded with a chuckle, and glanced to his right, "Just about." After about a minute, the monorail car slowed to a steady stop, and the guests were granted permission to exit. "Come on, Shen." He stood up, and led her back to the door, so they exited the vehicle. "Now, let's head for the train."

They trailed along the walkway amongst the crowd, before something caught Shenzi's eye. "Ooh, there's the Rainforest Cafe!"

"Yep," He nodded.

"Um," She hesitated, "They have candy there, don't they?" She twiddled her fingers and played with her ring.

"Come on," He chuckled at her cute shyness, and led her into the large gift shop, "We may as well look around here for anything interesting." To his amusement, his wife went straight for the candy, and selected one bag of gummy frogs, and one of sour gummy worms. That made him wonder just how wacky her cravings were going to be. Hopefully nothing she'll regret asking for.

"I found gummies!" She ran up to him with her candy bags, practically oozing ecstasy.

"Nice," He smiled, "Anything else you want?"

"Umm," She looked around briefly, then shook her head, "I don't think so."

"Alright," He nodded, "Let's go pay for these. It's on me."

"Uh-uh!" She shook her head again. "Don't you remember our deal? I pay for any souvenirs I pick out!"

"Oh, right," He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. She giggled, and shifted in front of him in the moderately-sized line. "You're going to share those, right?"

She shrugged with a playful smirk. "Maybe."

"You'd better share those with me, young lady," Chuckie whispered in her ear, and quickly moved his hands down her sides, his fingers moving up and down rapidly like spider legs, and tapping her midsection.

She let out a squeal and almost dropped her candy bags to hug herself, as other guests stared at them. "I told you! Don't tickle me here!"

"Fine," He chuckled, and drew his hands away.

"And to answer your question, yes, I'll share these with you," She smiled up at him, feeling a little cautious at him standing behind her. "Jerk," She whispered to herself in a playful tone.

"I heard that," Chuckie whispered to her face, his breath purposely tickling her neck.

"Hehehe!" She giggled, her shoulders shrugging up. "I was kidding! You're not a jerk!" She leaned up, stood on her toes, and pecked his lips. "You're the best guy in the whole world." They shared an eskimo kiss, before they continued waiting, with her now next to him.

Before long, they were walking out of the store. The woman at the register tried to flirt with Chuckie, but grudgingly backed off upon learning that he was married. "I just love Fantasyland," Shenzi remarked, "It has some of the best rides." She took the map out of his hands, and looked at the said area as they passed by Starbucks. "Is the Jungle Cruise there? We can't miss that!"

"Hmm, doesn't look like it," Chuckie replied, "But it's not too far away from there. We can stop there after doing time at Fantasyland."

"Awesome!" She exclaimed, and they continued their walk to the nearest train station. On the way, Shenzi opened her bag of gummy frogs, and shared them with Chuckie. By the time they made it to the train station, they had finished the frogs, and thrown the bag out in a trash can just a minute earlier. "Should I open the worms now?" She wondered aloud.

"Um, I think we should wait for a while, until the frogs take their course," He chuckled, patting his stomach.

"'Kay," She nodded, and held the bag in one hand, with her other hand in his. After they were deeper into the line, she put the bag in her purse, so her one hand was free. "I, I know I've said this before, but this is the best birthday of my life."

"And I'm still glad," He smirked, and kissed her cheek over her long bangs.

After a few minutes, they boarded the train near the middle, with Chuckie making his wife sit in the middle between him and their bags. She sighed in relaxation once she took her seat, and laid on his shoulder. "My feet were getting sore," She remarked.

"How come you didn't say anything?" He asked her out of curiosity. "I could've carried you."

"I didn't want to burden you," She admitted, "In case your feet were sore too."

"Shen, if my feet were exhausted from running a marathon, I still would've carried you."

A blush flared up on her cheeks. "Thanks, Chuckie."

After the safety recommendations were given, the train started moving. "Here we go," Chuckie smirked.

"Yep," Shenzi nodded, and watched the scenery go by. They spotted the Jungle Cruise very close by, but stuck to their original plan of going for it after Fantasyland. After only one or two minutes, the train stopped at the next station. "Ooh, there's the Haunted Mansion!" She exclaimed. "We should stop here first!"

"Alright," He nodded, and they disembarked, "Good thing it's close by."

On the way to the attraction, a booth caught Shenzi's eye. "Hey, Chuckie?" He looked down at her with a smile, making her heart skip. "C-can we get a churro after this?"

"Sure," He nodded, "Sounds great. Still not full yet, huh?"

"I guess not," She giggled, "Our baby's going to be quite an eater once he/she is born."

"Yep," He nodded. "We should get souvenirs too!" She piped up again, gesturing to the Haunted Mansion souvenir booth close to the ride.

"Sounds good," He nodded again. They made it to the start of the line, and waited patiently, Shenzi snapping pictures. "Looks like we'll be waiting 21 minutes."

"A'ight," She nodded, and stifled a yawn.

"You getting tired?"

"A little," She shrugged, "But I don't want this day to end."

"Sorry Shen," He rubbed her upper back, his hand shifting under her soft tresses, "All days come to an end."

"True," She nodded a bit.

"But... we'll always have the memories."

"Yes we will," She smiled up at him, shifted herself, and kissed his lips.

"Get a room," They heard a woman behind them, and she didn't sound happy. They separated and glanced at her, then looked at each other.

"That'll be a memory," Chuckie whispered in Shenzi's ear, and they stifled laughter.

"Oh, Chuckie?"

"Yes?"

"If you get scared, you can hold onto me as tightly as you want to," She offered, "But not in certain places," She whispered in his ear, and let giggles out.

"Will do," He whispered back with a chuckle.

"There are kids here," The rude woman hissed to them, clearly eavesdropping.

"And yet, you're wearing a tube top and butt shorts," Shenzi retorted off the cuff, and smirked to Chuckie.

"Mom!" A boy exclaimed in embarrassment, and cut in front of the woman, then turned to the couple. "Sorry, guys."

"It's cool," Chuckie assured him, "I think my wife took care of her."

"Yeah, it's okay," She added.

"It's your birthday?" The boy gestured to her pin.

"Uh huh," She nodded.

"Happy birthday!"

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome!"

With that, they continued waiting in line for the iconic attraction. Although Chuckie couldn't help but feel nervous.

* * *

 **(A/N: I know, abrupt ending. You know the disclaimer.)**


	8. Shenzi's Birthday Pt 6

**(A/N: After some writer's block, this was finally finished today! Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 7

* * *

After a while, they finally entered the Haunted Mansion, and filed into the stretching room with the other passengers. "Creepy portraits, huh?" Shenzi whispered to Chuckie over the ominous narration.

"Yep," He nodded. When they looked up, his eyes widened upon seeing the hanging skeleton. He flinched and clutched onto Shenzi's hand and shoulder at the feminine shriek, so she held onto him.

"Oh, I didn't mean to frighten you prematurely."

Chuckie smirked. "Me? Pfft, nah." Stifling giggles, Shenzi sneakily tickled his neck, making him jump and yelp, attracting attention. He raised an eyebrow at his giggling wife.

"S-sorry," She stammered, "I had to do that. And you were scared."

"I was not," He claimed on their way to the hall with the changing portraits.

"I felt you squeeze my hand and shoulder," She pointed out with a knowing smirk.

"Okay, I was a little scared," He admitted.

"Don't be embarrassed," She held his hand, "A lot of people get scared on this. I was a little spooked too."

"Ah," He nodded.

"Those portraits are cool, aren't they?" She asked him.

His eyes widened at the one with a woman that turned into an anthro white tiger with every flash of prosthetic lightning. "Yeah, neat." They drew back at the busts that seemingly watched their every move, even turning to face them. "Those are creepy."

"Yep," She nodded, "Come on, let's board a doom buggy."

"'Kay," He let her lead him to the line for the buggies. The line moved quite rapidly, so they were in a buggy before they knew it. They had stumbled on the moving sidewalk, but managed to board safely. Shenzi was in the middle, with Chuckie to her left, before the handlebar was lowered on its own.

"I wish I could take a picture of that purple wallpaper up ahead," She remarked, "I love the design. It's just too dark in here."

"Ah," He nodded, "Does your phone camera have a night vision setting?"

"No," She shook her head, "It doesn't. I checked earlier."

"Ohh. Your flash is off, right?"

"Yep," She nodded, "Yours?"

"Uh huh."

As they passed by Madam Leotta's crystal ball, Shenzi looked up at Chuckie. "Did you know that her voice actress also voiced Lady Tremaine from Cinderella, and Malificent from Sleeping Beauty?"

"I did not," He replied, "That's very interesting. And now that you say it, she does sound like them."

"Mm hmm," She nodded.

At the part with the dancing ghosts, the couple smiled at each other, remembering the times they danced together, and then snuggled up against one another, watching the ghosts. When the undead bride practically whispered "You may now kiss the bride," Chuckie kissed his for a second, making her giggle. She then started singing along to "Grim Grinning Ghosts" in a quiet, yet silly voice, to her husband's amusement.

Although she paused and looked sympathetic for the deathly skinny dog and his terrified owner, but went back to singing after a second. Chuckie jumped back at the zombie shooting up from the ground, and smirked at the singing busts. They snuggled up again at the ghost couples, then Shenzi giggled at their hitchhiking ghost. "Good to know," Chuckie smirked when it was announced that the ghost would seemingly follow them home, and Shenzi giggled.

After the handlebar rose up, the couple stumbled on the moving sidewalk, and exited the ride. "That was fun, huh?" She asked him after they were outside.

"... Yeah," He nodded, "The stretching room was a little freaky, but after that, it wasn't so bad."

"Well, I'm glad you had fun."

"Same with you. Now, let's hop back on that train, and get to Fantasyland for a cruise around the world."

"Yay!" She cheered. Chuckie began leading his ecstatic wife back to the line for the train station, but her voice stopped him. "Wait!" She ran to the souvenir booth, alarming him as he ran after her. "We forgot to look here!"

"S-sorry Shen," He panted, "But please, don't run off and scare me like that."

"Sorry, Chuckie," She kissed his cheek, and started browsing, "I'll be more careful."

"Good," He nodded, and browsed with her.

After a while, she ran up to him. "Chuckie, lookit!" She held up an HM hostess t-shirt in her size, and a matching butler t-shirt in his size. "We can match! Want to get these?"

"Yeah," He nodded, "They look pretty neat."

"Yay!" She cheered, then something else caught her eye. "Aww, look!" She grabbed a themed plush playset with a doom buggy and two circular figures, one a mummy and one a bride. "This'll be perfect for the baby!" After Chuckie nodded, she held onto it and continued browsing.

After she picked out a hostess costume headband, a black/white themed dress, an apron, and a stretching portrait tank top, she was ready to go. Chuckie decided on the shirt she picked for him, a die cast of the hearse, a Hatbox Ghost skull t-shirt, and a jigsaw puzzle. After paying for their purchases and stashing them in his backpack, they headed for the nearby churro stand. "What kind do you want?" He asked her after they arrived at the back of the line. "They have different kinds."

"Just the regular," She shrugged, "It's amazing."

"Yep," He nodded, "That it is. Since it's 15 inches long, we'll share it."

"Good idea," She agreed. Soon, they were up front.

"Hello," The woman at the cart greeted them in a friendly way, "What can I get you?"

"Can we get one regular churro?" Chuckie requested.

"You sure you don't want two?"

"We're sure," Shenzi nodded, "We're sharing."

"Alright," She nodded.

"We're Shenzi and Chuckie," The latter provided their names.

"Thank you; I'll get started on your churro momentarily."

"Thanks," Chuckie nodded, "Um, today is my wife's birthday."

"Oh, happy birthday!"

"Thanks! This is the greatest birthday ever!"

"I'm glad it is! I'll call your names when your order is ready."

"Thanks." With that, the couple sat on the pavement stairs to wait. They watched people enter or exit the Haunted Mansion, and/or head for Tom Sawyer's Island, eat at the nearby French Market restaurant, board or exit the train, etc. "So, after this, we'll head to Fantasyland, 'kay?" He turned to his wife.

"Okay!" She nodded with enthusiasm. "Sounds good." She laid on his shoulder to relax, making a smile grow on his face. "Um... where are Dole Whips found here?"

He smirked in amusement at her change of subject. "Just the Tiki bar."

"Is it nearby? I'm in the mood for a Dole Whip."

"Hmm," Chuckie looked at the map, "It's actually in Central Plaza. How 'bout we stop there on the way to California Adventure? We can take a carriage after we go to Fantasyland."

"'Kay," She nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

"Shenzi, Chuckie?" They heard the woman's voice.

"That's us," Chuckie said as they stood up.

"Thanks," He held the churro by where the tissue paper covered it, and they walked back to the stairs to sit back in their original spots. "Bon appetit," He held the treat to her in an offering.

"Thank you, sir," She giggled, and took a small bite. She let out a little moan of delight, then swallowed. "That's yummy! Your turn!"

Chuckie gnarled off a bite, and relished the warm, sweet taste. "That's really good."

When there were a few bites left, the couple decided to wait in line for the train, and eat the last of their long treat as they would wait. After they finished, Chuckie put the tissue paper in the nearby trash can. "That was really good!"

"Yep," He nodded. When they were silent, Chuckie let it sink in; He was married to his best friend, the sweetest girl that ever graced the planet. She was his forever. Shenzi Tuck was now a Finster for life, with another Finster on the way. He leaned down and kissed her soft hair in front of her ear, letting his lips linger. "I love you so much," He whispered.

"I love you too," She smiled up at him, and laid her head on his shoulder, so her face was at his neck to hide her shy blush. "I love you with all my heart." After a pause, she spoke up again. "Can we come here for Christmas?"

He let out amused chuckles at that, making her smile grow. "Maybe after the baby is born."

"Okay," She mumbled in his neck.

"For now, let's just enjoy today," Chuckie held her closer, and carefully rested his head on hers.

"I'm way ahead of you," Shenzi giggled quietly, "This is the best day of my life. Or, one of them."

"Same here," He agreed with her. When the train came, the couple was narrowly able to board; The people just behind them had to wait for the next one. They sat near the front, with Shenzi in the middle per usual. She snuggled on Chuckie's shoulder as the train moved along the track. She took her phone out of her purse, took a picture of herself and her husband, and texted to her and his families after feeling satisfied. They admired the dinosaur scenes as they passed by them in the cave, and snapped pictures. After they were out of the cave, she received text replies, saying how they looked adorable, and like they were having a good time. "What did everyone say?" He asked her.

"Here are their replies," She gave him her phone, so he could see what their families had to say.

"Ah," He nodded, "Nice." He then had a look at the picture, and smirked. "You look really cute in this picture, Shen."

"Aww, thanks," She blushed, "So do you." She then stifled a yawn, and rested against his arm, shoulder, and backpack. "I'm getting tired. This train is too soothing."

"Hm," He smirked with his arm around her shoulders, "You can sleep for a bit. I'll wake you up when we get to the station.

"'Kay," She mumbled, and let her eyes close. Chuckie rested his head on hers, keeping her purse in her lap, and watched the scenery roll by. He was feeling a little sad that their day was coming to an end; Like his wife, he wanted it to last forever. He looked down at Shenzi when she let out a little moan of fatigue, before she snuggled in his neck with one hand in his lap. "I l-love you," She whispered in her slumber.

"I love you too, my princess," He whispered back, and brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "I'm blessed to be the father of your baby." After a few blissful minutes, he saw that the station was coming close; He didn't want the engineer to startle her awake, so he gently shook her shoulder. "Shen?" He whispered in her ear. "Shen, we're here."

"Hmm?" Her eyes blinked open heavily. "We're here?"

"Mm hmm," He nodded, "You sleep good?"

"Uh huh," She nodded.

After the train stopped at the station, the couple exited with some other passengers. "Come on; Let's go cruise around the world."

"Yay," She giggled, and they arrived at the line. "Looks like we'll be waiting for only 9 minutes."

"That's good," He remarked, "This ride has been a favorite of mine in my childhood."

"Mine too," She agreed, "The song gets trapped in my head easily."

"Same here," He chuckled, "It's an earworm."

"Um... can we stop at the gift shop after this?"

"Sure," He nodded, and looked back at it, "It looks like we have no choice," He chuckled, "It's right in front of the exit."

"Ah," She giggled.

"So, after this and the gift shop, we'll head for the Jungle Cruise by carriage."

"Sounds good," She nodded, "What's the carriage route?" She looked with him after he held out the map. "Ohhh; looks pretty far off."

"Yeah," He nodded, "We'll just take the train again, and go in a circle."

"'Kay," She agreed, "I love the train anyway."

"Me too. We can take the carriage back to the entrance after we're done at this park."

"Sounds like a plan."

Before long, the 9 minutes were up, and the couple boarded a boat, sitting in the middle row. "Here we go!" Shenzi exclaimed when the boat started moving. Something then caught her eye in the water. "Look, ducks!"

"Huh," Chuckie laughed, "I guess they want to go on a worldwide cruise too."

After the boat exited the station, the couple snapped pictures of the simple water mural at either side, along with the white rail fence. They also took pictures of the shaped topiaries as they passed them, plus the white and blue flowers, before the boat entered the ride structure. Shenzi sang along to the song as she and Chuckie snapped pictures of the ride features as they passed them by. In Norway, they admired the dancers, choir, the whale, and all the beautiful winter scenery. They arrived in Denmark next, and gazed at the large flowers, the appropriately-dressed dancers, the trumpeteer soldiers, the sparkling lights, and the large crescent moon.

England was next, where they saw Alice and the White Rabbit with three chess pieces, Peter Pan flying above their heads, the Big Ben, can-can dancing dolls, a twirling ballerina, the Eiffel Tower (surprisingly), and Cinderella with the mice. In Scotland, there was red and green plaid hills and a doll playing bagpipes, while in Ireland, they encountered shamrocks arranged with a harp on top of them. In Belgium, there were dolls with ducks, a clown in a hot air balloon, and spinning windmills. Pinocchio and a gondola were in Italy, and goats populated Holland.

They came to the Eastern area next, but Greece first, where they saw dancing dolls, then appropriately-dressed dolls flying overhead on magic carpets in Bali, a snake charmer and a bizarre creature in India, and kimono-clad dolls, two ballet dancers, and a panda in China. Two Japanese dolls were bowing at the archway above them. Next was Egypt, where there was simply an Egyptian doll on a themed lounge chair.

They then entered the jungle area, where they saw various animals, such as monkeys hanging onto vines, a drumming zebra and rhino, two laughing hyenas, a large elephant, a lion with two African-style dolls at either side, even Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa. After encountering a hippo, dancing dolls, and tall giraffes, they entered the Central America section, coming to Antarctica first. They saw dancing penguins in that area, themed dolls with horses and llamas in Chile, dolls with flower beds and a spinning sun in Brazil, then the Three Callaberos and themed dolls in Mexico.

They then arrived at the South Pacific area, where Ariel, Attina, Andrina, and Flounder were under the sea, along with Nemo and Dory. There was a koala, a mother kangaroo with her baby, and platypi in Australia, Lilo and Stitch, along with a Tiki sun and hula dancers in Hawaii, and an alligator at Polynesian islands. Throughout the whole area, except under the sea, there were giant butterflies above their heads, which Shenzi admired. The Wild West area was next, where the whole thing contained sparkling lights, some forming fireworks over the exit archway, which had a rainbow, a farm with a scarecrow, a spinning windmill, and a farmer doll, and a desert with floral cacti, and Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye. There were also themed dolls that included a cowboy and a Native American. New Zealand was last, where the song was in an acappella style. Dolls were all over the area, dancing, singing, or playing instruments. Some were even floating on balloons. "I love this area," Shenzi whispered to Chuckie.

"Me too," He whispered back, before she continued singing quietly to the song. She giggled at a doll floating in the air, and holding onto a flower. After they exited the area, they entered the tunnel with giant postcards that went with every area in the ride, then were outside again. They snapped pictures of the topiaries they passed by, then waited for the boat to arrive at the station over the safety recommendations. After they were granted permission to disembark, they stepped out of the boat, and headed for the gift shop.

"That was awesome!" Shenzi exclaimed.

"Yep," Chuckie nodded. He watched as his wife browsed the store with great enthusiasm, before deciding to have a look himself. ' _Colorful place,_ ' He thought silently. After a few minutes of nothing catching his eye, he waited patiently for Shenzi to finish by the exit. Or entrance. Whichever one.

"I'm done!" She bounded over to him after a couple minutes.

He chuckled at the Pillow Pet Cheshire Cat in her arms. "That's cute."

"Thanks!" She giggled. "Let's get on that train!"

As the train rode along the tracks, Shenzi hugged and cuddled her new pillow a bit, while humming the Small World tune. Chuckie rubbed her back between her shoulders as she smiled up at him. "You still doing okay?"

"Mm hmm," She nodded, "The baby seems to be really relaxed today."

"Good," He patted her tummy, making her giggle, "Maybe he or she knows that this is your special day, and wants it to be your best... just like I do." He rested his face in her silky locks behind her ear. "Your happiness means the world to me," He mumbled, and pressed his lips to her head for a small kiss.

"Same for me with you," She whispered back, her cheeks blushing. She snuggled in his neck and shoulder after he drew his head back, before he rested it on hers. Her pillow stayed in her lap, with her purse on top of it.

When the train stopped at the station by Autopia, the couple stayed in their seats as some guests disembarked, and some boarded. Shenzi was tempted to set her legs on Chuckie's lap, but refrained; It would've given her a risk of falling, in case of any sudden stops. They watched the scenery roll by when the train started moving again, from the Star Wars Launch Bay to the beauty of nature, plus the never-ending monorail track. After a couple minutes, and the train stopping at the downtown station, they arrived by the Haunted Mansion. "We're back where we started," Shenzi giggled.

"Yep," Chuckie nodded as they disembarked. They began following the walkway to their destination, when something caught his eye. "Hey, there's Pirates of the Caribbean. I've always loved that ride. What do you say?"

"Sounds great!" She agreed, and they entered the line. After riding it, and exploring Tarzan's Treehouse, they arrived at the Jungle Cruise. Surprisingly, they had to wait 4 minutes until they boarded a boat. The couple sat near the front, and waited patiently as other guests joined them. After riding through the river, snapping pictures of the animatronic animals, tribal people, and the waterfall along the way, the couple headed for the park entrance. "Oh! Wait, wait, wait!" She grabbed his hand, and practically dragged him to the Tiki bar.

"Oh right!" Chuckie remarked. "I forgot about this." After Shenzi received a Dole Whip, she and her husband waited for the next carriage to come. She took a Lactaid with Chuckie's water bottle, then took a small bite of her frozen treat. "How is it?"

"Amazing," She replied after swallowing, "Want to try some?"

"Oh, no thanks," He kindly declined, "I'm good."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," He nodded. Feeling unsure, she continued eating, relishing the refreshingly cold, pineapple taste.

After she finished her treat, Chuckie let a smirk grow. "Can I have a bite?"

She looked worried as she swallowed the ice cream. "Uh, it-it's gone," She stammered.

"Don't worry, I'm kidding," He chuckled, and knelt down behind her back. "Don't be such a worrywart." He teasingly tickled her sides over her shirt.

"AAH! Hehehehe!" She squealed and burst into a fit of giggles, drawing attention to them and making her accidentally drop her cup and spoon.. The cup landed on its side, so a bit of leftover ice cream dripped on the concrete.

"S-sorry," Chuckie stammered as Shenzi raised an eyebrow at him with a patronizing smirk. She picked up her dropped items, and put them in the nearest trash can, then walked back to him.

"How many times must I say it?" She giggled. "Don't tickle me here!"

"I didn't think you would drop them," He shrugged, "Sorry."

"It's okay," She assured him.

After a couple minutes, a carriage came and stopped in front of the group of waiting guests. After they boarded, the carriage started making its usual route to Main Street. The couple snuggled up to each other, Shenzi feeling drowsy again; Her pregnancy was already taking its toll on her. She gazed downward with her head on her husband's shoulder, and laid a hand on her tummy. "You're wearing me out, baby," She muttered, although Chuckie heard her.

"Well, California Adventure doesn't have as many rides as this park does," He pointed out, "You'll be alright. But if your feet start getting sore, just speak up, okay?" He felt her head nod in agreement. "'Kay, I will."

"Good," He smiled, and kissed her temple, "I don't want you to exhaust yourself, just so _I_ wouldn't exhaust _my_ -self. You're more important." Her cheeks flushed as she stayed quiet.

After a few minutes of going straight, then making two turns, the carriage stopped at the entrance. "Here's our stop," Shenzi remarked, before Chuckie hopped down on the sidewalk. Before she could, he picked her up in a bridal style, and set her on her feet on the concrete. "Thanks," She giggled.

"No problem," He kissed her cheek, "Let's get out of here, and to California Adventure."

"Yay," She shrugged with excitement, "I love California Adventure."

"Me too," He agreed with her as they walked out of the park. After trekking the in-between area, they arrived at the next park entrance.

* * *

 **(A/N: Well, their time at Disneyland has come to an end; up next, California Adventure! You know the disclaimer.)**


	9. Shenzi's Birthday Pt 7

**(A/N: Sorry this chapter took a while to finish! Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 8

* * *

 _After trekking the in-between area, they arrived at the next park entrance._

The line was not very long, so they were in the park after only a couple minutes. "Yay! We're here!" Shenzi cheered.

"Yes we are," Chuckie nodded, "Where should we go first?" He held out the map for her to see.

"Umm... ooh! How about Soaring Around the World?" She pointed to the ride on the map.

"Whatever my birthday lady wants," Chuckie folded the map, took her hand, and started leading her to the ride of her choice. "Although, I thought it was called "Soaring over _California_ "."

"They changed it recently," She shrugged.

"Ah," He nodded, before they arrived at the line. "I think after we ride this, we should start searching for a place to have dinner at."

"Sounds good," She agreed, "I'm getting a bit hungry."

"Already?" He chuckled. "You just had ice cream."

"I'm eating for two, y'know," She giggled, "This kid's a big foodie already." She patted her tummy. "What's this ride's wait time?"

"Um," He looked at the sign, "Wow, 37 minutes."

"Dang," She remarked.

"I hope you're not too hungry right now," He looked down at her.

"Not really," She shook her head, "I can wait."

"Me too," He agreed with her, "Good thing. We've got a bit of a long wait ahead of us."

"Yep," She nodded. After some silence, she looked up at him. "What do you think the baby's going to be?"

Chuckie stayed quiet, pretending to think, then smirked at her. "A baby?"

She laughed at his joke with him. "I mean the gender!" She giggled. "Do you think our baby's going to be a boy, or a girl?"

"Hmm, it's hard to really predict that," He remarked with one hand on the back of his neck, "But... I'm happy with either one."

"Me too," She nodded, and laid on his shoulder.

After a few minutes, the couple were inside the building, but hadn't made it to the ride yet. "Cool place," Chuckie remarked, while looking at the framed photos on the wall.

"Yeah," Shenzi nodded, then gently rubbed her upper arms, "Kinda chilly, though."

"You're chilly? Here." Chuckie took off his jacket, and handed it to her.

"You sure you won't be chilly?" She asked him.

"Positive," He assured her, "You need more warmth than I do."

"Well... alright," She decided, and held out her purse, "Can you hold this?" After Chuckie took the handle, she grabbed his jacket and slipped it on, relishing the body heat he provided to it. "Thanks," She took her purse back after he handed it to her, and put the handle back over her opposite shoulder.

"Is that better?" He asked her.

"Yep," She nodded, "Thanks."

"No prob," He held her closer, and marveled at how small she looked in his jacket. The sleeves went past her wrists, and the overall length was almost at her skirt. It was adorable.

"What're you staring at me for?" She asked him, feeling a little shy and self-conscious.

"S-sorry," He stammered, "I just love how small you are," He chuckled.

"Ah," She giggled, "Well, that's a side effect to being born two months early."

"Two months? Dang! Tommy was born that early too!"

"He was? Cool!"

"Yeah," He nodded, "He told me after hearing it from his parents. He was in an incubator for a while."

"Me too. My dad told me that I had to stay in it for a few weeks."

"Tommy was the same."

"Hm," She nodded, and stifled a yawn of fatigue. "I hope we get seated soon; I'm getting tired."

"Here." Chuckie bent down and lifted her up, with one hand on her shoulders, and the other under her knees.

"Thanks," She giggled with her arm around his neck.

"You're welcome. Anything for the mother of my baby," He kissed her forehead, and continued waiting. She snuggled in his shoulder and gazed around the building, smirking at anyone giving them strange looks. She gently gripped his shirt with her thin fingers, and smiled up at him, after he looked down at her. "So... how's California Adventure so far?"

"We've barely been here yet," She giggled, "We just got here."

"Right," He chuckled, "I was kidding. You excited for this ride?"

"Yep," She nodded, "You?"

"Yeah," He replied, "Although I'm a little nervous."

"You'll be alright," She assured him, "If you start to feel uneasy, I'll help you."

"O-okay," He nodded, "Thanks, Shen." She leaned up, and kissed his lips for a second.

"No problem, Chuck."

After a while, they finally made it to the ride. By this time, Shenzi's legs and feet were rested up, so she walked on her own after Chuckie hesitantly set her down. They sat in the front row, and waited for the presentation video to finish. Chuckie flinched a bit when the seats suddenly rose up and moved forward, holding onto Shenzi's arm as she held his hand. They first saw clouds in the sky, like they were on a glider, then seemingly moved down to see the snowy Matterhorn. The couple moved their feet up when the peak of the mountain looked close. They then flew over the Arctic ocean, and saw polar bears on the tundra of Greenland. A splash from a killer whale transitioned to the Sydney Harbor, where boats decorated the water. A sudden flying airplane sent them to the Neuschwanstein Castle, then Mt. Kilimanjaro and African plains. The Great Wall of China was next, then the pyramids of Egypt. Chuckie clutched onto Shenzi's hand whenever the row of seats tilted to move with the giant screen. Next was mausoleum Taj Mahal, then Monument Valley, where hot air balloons were floating in the air. They then encountered the Lau Islands in Fiji with canoers in the water, followed by the Iquazu Falls in Brazil, and nighttime Paris. The couple snuggled against each other at the sight of the lit-up Eiffel Tower, remembering their honeymoon in the city of love. Then last, but not least, nighttime Disneyland! The guests, Shenzi included, cheered as they passed the monorail, the floral art, Main Street, then the castle walkway, as fireworks lit up the sky. The seats were then lowered and moved back, before the guests were instructed on how to unbuckle their seatbelts.

"That was great!" The birthday girl exclaimed after they were outside. "What're we doing for dinner?"

"Hmm," Chuckie took out the map, and looked around the area they were in. He then looked up to see a restaurant in his sights. "The Smokejumpers Grill is right over there. How's that sound?"

"Sounds good to me," She shrugged, "Our baby and I are hungry."

"Me too," He agreed with her, then led her to the nearby restaurant. After they were seated outdoors at a table with an umbrella, they looked at the menu to decide what to choose. "What're you getting, Shen?"

"Umm... I think I'll have the Garden Vegetable burger with French fries," She decided, "What about you?"

"I'll have the All-American Cheeseburger with fries," He answered her. He smirked when her stomach growled. "Getting more hungry?"

"Yep," She giggled, "If I wasn't eating for two, I would've chosen the nuggets. Normally, the burger is too big for me."

"Yeah," He nodded, "You're pretty small for your age, as we discussed earlier."

"Uh huh," She agreed with him, "I just... hope I won't have any pregnancy troubles involving that."

"You're be alright," Chuckie rubbed her arm, feeling thankful that they were sitting close together, and rested his forehead on hers, making a shy smile grow on her face, "Nothing bad will happen to you."

"Thanks, Chuckie," They shared a kiss for a couple seconds, "That makes me feel a little better. Although I'm still nervous."

"That's understandable," He assured her, "I'd be terrified if I was the one pregnant," He chuckled, making her giggle, "You're very brave, Shen. You'll get through this, I know it. And it'll all be worth it, once the 9 months are up."

"Yes it will," She nodded.

"Hello, welcome to Smokejumpers Grill," A man who worked at the restaurant greeted them, "I'll be your waiter today; My name is Jack. Can I start you off with some drinks?"

"That'd be great, thanks," Chuckie nodded, "Um, I'll have a regular Pepsi."

"Me too," Shenzi added, "And uh, we already know what we want to order."

"Alright," Jack wrote down their drink choices, "What would you like?"

"I want the Garden Vegetable Burger with fries," Shenzi replied, "P-please."

"And I'd like the All-American Cheeseburger with fries on the side," Chuckie added.

"Okay," Jack wrote down their order, "I'll be back momentarily." He then walked back to the kitchen.

"I'm going to go wash up real quick," Shenzi stood up, and headed for the women's restroom. Just when she reached an unoccupied faucet, a wave of nausea washed over her, so she dashed into a vacant stall, and released her food into the toilet. Praying that it wouldn't happen again, she did her business and walked back to the dining room. She debated on telling Chuckie, but decided against it, not wanting to make him worry and want to end their day early. "I'm back," She sat in her seat, trying to look perfectly healthy.

"'Kay," Chuckie nodded, and stood up, "Be right back." After drying his hands with the blow dryer, he heard something interesting from the women's restroom.

"I just walked in the stall, and some girl who threw up forgot to flush the toilet."

"Did you see her?"

"Yeah, I think. I saw someone come out of there before seeing it."

Feeling concerned, Chuckie walked up to the two friends. "Um, excuse me?" They turned to look at them. "That girl you saw in there; She wouldn't happen to have long, black hair, black eyeglasses, and light purplish-grey skin, would she?"

"Actually, she did," One of the girls nodded, "I heard her in there, but didn't want to say anything to her. Why?"

His eyes widened at that. "Ohhh God, no-o-o-o nononononono." He ran to the table, where his wife looked nervous. "Shen, how come you didn't tell me you were feeling sick?"

"I..." She hesitated, "I didn't want to worry you, a-and I didn't feel bad until I was in there. I'm sorry, Chuckie." She hung her head down in shame. "I should've told you."

"It's okay," He rubbed her shoulder, and rested his head on hers, so they were facing each other, "I only want what's best for you. But... if you want to head back to the hotel after we eat here, we..."

"No!" She cried out, surprising him as she grabbed his hands in a panic, before calming down. "That's another reason why I didn't want to tell you. I don't want today to end early. P-please; I don't want us to finish celebrating my birthday prematurely."

Chuckie stayed silent as he thought about what she had just confessed. Was a little pregnancy sickness really worth ending her special day early? If it was him who was sick, he sure wouldn't want to do that. He sighed with hesitation, and made his decision. "Okay, we'll keep going. But if you throw up again, then we'll head to the nearest first aid area, so you can rest for a bit, okay?"

"Alright," She nodded, "Thanks."

"No prob." He rubbed her nose on hers, making her blush and giggle, "Like I said, I only want what's best for you. You're my best friend, the love of my life, and the mother of my baby. It's what you deserve."

"Aww, Chuckie," She smiled shyly, "You're those things to me too, except you're the father of my baby," She added with a giggle, "You deserve the best too." She pecked his lips, making his cheeks blush.

Just then, Jack came back to their table with the drinks on the cart. "Here are your Pepsis." He set them on the table, with the couple assisting. "Your food will be here momentarily."

"Thanks," They nodded, and he headed back to the kitchen.

"Shen, if you start feeling sick again, don't be afraid to tell me, okay?" Chuckie told his wife gently as she sipped her refreshing drink.

"O-okay," She stammered, "I just don't want us to have to leave early."

"I know," He kissed her forehead, "But we won't. I'm not gonna end your special day over something you can't control."

"Thanks, Chuck."

"It's my pleasure," They kissed for a second, "I hope our food gets here soon." He sipped his Pepsi. "I'm hungry."

"Me too," Shenzi agreed, before they heard hunger-induced growling from her stomach. "See?" She giggled.

"Yep," He went to poke her, but stopped himself before she could notice. After she finished another sip, he held her closer with one arm and rested his nose on her temple, in her soft hair.

"I love you," He heard her beautiful voice mumble to him.

"I love you too," He whispered back and kissed her temple, letting his lips linger. After a couple minutes of waiting, the loving couple enjoying each others' company, Jack came to their table. "Alright, here's your All-American Cheeseburger with fries, sir," He set the plate in front of Chuckie.

"Thanks," He nodded. "And for the lady, a Garden Vegetable Burger with fries," He went to set the plate in front of her, but she carefully grabbed it.

"Thank you," She set it down for him.

"You're very welcome. Anything for such a beautiful lady. Interested in a date?"

"Um, I-I'm actually married," She stammered, glancing at her peeved husband, "And... expecting."

"Oh, o-okay then. My mistake." With that, he awkwardly walked to the kitchen.

Shenzi couldn't help but smirk at Chuckie's eye roll. "Problem?" She teased him with a giggle.

"I just don't like other guys hitting on you," He shrugged, "Especially when they're more attractive than me."

"Chuckie," She laid her hand over his, and leaned her face close to his, "I married you for a reason. Because I love you. You, you, you. Other guys have nothing on you. Guys more attractive than you don't even exist, anywhere."

He let a shy smile grow. "Thanks, Shen." They shared a kiss for a second.

"Now, let's eat!" She grabbed her burger, and took a bite. "Mmm, yummy!" She exclaimed after swallowing. "How's your burger?"

He turned to her after swallowing his first bite. "It's great. You want to try a bit?"

"Mmm, okay, thanks," She nodded and took a small bite out of his burger. "Ooh, that's good! Want a bite of mine?"

"Sure, thanks," He replied, and bit off a small amount. "Hmm, that's pretty good."

After finishing their meals and Chuckie paying the bill, the couple sat on a bench outside of the restaurant area. "Well, that was delicious," She remarked, while patting her tummy.

"Yep," He nodded in agreement, then unfolded the map, "Let's see what's nearby."

* * *

 **(A/N: Well, their time at California Adventure has officially begun! You know the disclaimer.)**


	10. Shenzi's Birthday Pt 8

**(A/N: Shenzi and Chuckie's time in California Adventure continues. I hope this chapter is enjoyable!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 9

* * *

The couple looked at the map for any other rides near their current location. "Hmm," Shenzi debated, "Hey, there are the river rapids! I love those! Oh wait; I picked the last thing we went on."

"It's okay, Shen," He assured her, "We can make an exception. If it's the rapids you want, then the rapids we shall ride next. But let's wait a few minutes for our food to digest first."

"'Kay," She nodded, "But if there's something else you want to..."

"It's fine," He insisted with a hand on her shoulder, "I can wait until after this one; I love the rapids too." She laid on his shoulder, and he held her closer.

After some silence, she spoke up again. "You want your jacket back?"

"I'm good," He shook his head, "You feeling warmer?"

"Uh huh," She nodded, and took it off, "Here," She held it out to him, refusing to take no for an answer.

"Okay, if you insist," He chuckled and put it back on, blushing at the body heat she left in it, "Thanks."

"No prob. I was getting a little warm."

"Ah," He nodded, "I like seeing more of you anyway."

She stifled giggles at that. "You're disgusting," She whispered with a hand to her mouth.

"I know," He chuckled quietly, "Let's head over there." They stood up, and Chuckie led her to the Grizzly River Run, aka the rapids. Once they arrived, they stopped at the back of the line. "Looks like we have around a half hour to kill."

"'Kay," She nodded, and held his hand, "It's a good thing we're going on now; We would've been a little too late if we waited."

"Yeah," He agreed, "It would've been too chilly to get wet." He smiled when she let out a yawn, with her hand rubbing her eyes. "Still tired?"

"Mm hmm," She nodded.

"And um, you still feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," She assured him, "And if you're worried about this ride being too rough, I'll be alright. So will our baby."

"Well, if you're sure," He felt nervous at that, "Just buckle yourself in extra firmly, just to be safe. And I'll sit closely next to you."

"'Kay," She nodded.

"I was going to sit next to you anyway," He chuckled.

"Good to know," She giggled. The half hour flew by quickly, and before long, they were up front.

"Oh um, I couldn't help but notice your pin there," The cast member remarked about Shenzi's baby pin, "You're pregnant?"

"Yes ma'am," She nodded.

"Oh. Well, if you're expecting, then I'm afraid you can't go on this ride." Shenzi furrowed her eyebrows in disappointment. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," She said, "My husband can ride without me."

"You sure?" He asked her. "I can skip it if you want me to."

"No," She shook her head, and laid her hands on his upper arms, "I don't want to hold you back. You go on, and have fun. I'll be watching for you from the walkway, by the bridge."

"Well, alright," He reluctantly agreed, and kissed her lips, "I'll be done momentarily. Here, you can hold these." He gave her his denim jacket, and their backpack.

"Okay, thanks. Have fun," She nodded, holding his jacket in both hands with the backpack slung on her shoulders, and headed for the exit. She walked up the stairs, feeling disappointed, but tried to hide it. She found the area, and watched the gushing waterfall, and the barrel rafts of screaming passengers. She wondered how she was allowed on "Soarin' Around The World" while expecting. Were pregnant women allowed on that ride? But then again, it wasn't rough like this was. She shrugged it off, put her husband's jacket on after setting the backpack on her feet where she could feel it move, and waited patiently for him to ride down.

Down on the dock, Chuckie boarded the next raft, feeling a bit disappointed that his wife was unable to enjoy this ride with him. Although she wasn't going to be pregnant forever, he hoped that she would get another chance. He watched patiently as other guests boarded: A family of 5, plus 2 others. Once everyone was buckled in, the raft started moving freely along the water after passing the track. Chuckie gripped his seat as the family talked among themselves. He wondered if Shenzi found the bridge, and was waiting for him to ride down the waterfall.

On the walkway, Shenzi was still waiting, when a buzz in her husband's jacket pocket startled her, and she took out his phone. She saw "Kimi" on the Caller ID; Hoping he wouldn't mind, she answered the call. "Hello, Kimi?"

"Oh, hi Shenzi," She heard Kimi's voice, "Where's Chuckie?"

"He's on the rapids in California Adventure," Shenzi replied.

"Ohh. How come you're not?"

"Pregnancy restrictions."

"Ah, bummer. What're you doing right now?"

"I'm waiting to see him go down the waterfall."

"Ohh. How come he's riding when you can't?"

"I convinced him to go without me; I don't want to hold him back."

"Ah, got ya."

"So, um, what're you doing right now?"

"I'm designing wedding invitations."

"Ooh, cool! What's the wedding theme?"

"It's Japanese."

"Neat! I can't wait for that!"

"I can't either! I'm going to wait until you and Chuckie are back home to shop for dresses."

"Cool, thanks."

"No prob. Oh, I almost forgot; Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks!"

"Have you guys still been having fun since I last called?"

"Yep. It's the best birthday ever."

"I'm glad! So, you're in California Adventure now?"

"Yeah, we are. We ate at Smokejumper's Grill for dinner before coming here."

"I hope Chuckie's food is digested."

"Me too," Shenzi giggled, "It's uh, it's kind of lonely here without him."

"Aww. I'll stay on the line until he comes back."

"Thanks."

"No problem. So um, what're you doing after this?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'll have to look at the map with Chuckie."

"'Kay. You have any souvenirs yet?"

"Yeah, some. We stopped at the Haunted Mansion booth after riding, and the Small World gift shop."

"Cool! Was he nervous in the Haunted Mansion?"

"Yeah, at first; In the stretching room. But after that, he seemed fine."

"That's good. What souvenirs did you get?"

"Umm..."

In the raft, Chuckie was relishing the coolness that the water provided, while wondering what his one and only was doing. "Hey," A teenage boy with dyed purple hair to his right greeted him over the safety recommendations, "You here for a special occasion?"

"Yeah," He nodded, "For my wife's birthday."

"Nice! How old?"

"19. She couldn't ride with me, because she's also pregnant, albeit only a few weeks."

"Ah, bummer, dude."

"Yeah, she was pretty psyched for this ride too. She's on the bridge right now. She didn't want to hold me back, so she convinced me to ride without her." He felt awkward when the boy stared at him. "Something wrong?"

"Sorry; I just feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

"Hmm, what's your name?"

"I'm Nicholas Tom." Chuckie thought about that, when he finally recognized him. He was Lil's partner in the science fair! "Oh, oh yeah! We _have_ met! We went to the same middle school!"

"You're Chuckie Finster, right?"

"Yeah," He nodded.

"Is your wife Lil?"

"No," He shook his head, "It's Shenzi Tuck. I'm not sure if you've met her."

"I'm pretty sure I dated her while you guys were taking a break."

"O-oh. She never mentio- ah!"

"We're goin' up!" Nicholas exclaimed with excitement. "Anyway, what were you saying?"

"Shenzi never mentioned going on a date with you."

"Oh, really?"

"Nope. Although sometimes, her memory isn't the greatest."

"Yeah, but she's a great girl. You're a lucky dude."

"Thanks. We got married only a couple months ago."

"Oh, congratulations!"

"Thanks. A bit before that, I started planning this birthday trip for her." Chuckie gripped his seat after the raft was floating freely again. "Normally, I can't keep a secret, but- oh!" He was surprised by the small drop, then stared in awe at the colorfully-lighted cave walls. He wished he had his phone with him; He had given it to Shenzi, so it wouldn't get ruined by water. The raft was then back outside on the gushing river.

"Pretty sweet, huh?!" Nicholas exclaimed over the rumbling and splashing.

"Yeah!" Chuckie replied.

"I got matching shirts for me and Chuckie, a plush set for our baby, a costume headband, a dress, an apron, and a tank top from the Haunted Mansion, and a Cheshire Cat pillow pet from It's a Small World," Shenzi listed off.

"Wow, that's a lot!" Kimi remarked. "You'll have to show me all of that stuff, and anything else you get when you come back!"

"I'll be sure to do just that."

"Thanks; Can't wait!"

"No problem. Want me to bring something back for you?"

"Oh, you don't have to. It's _your_ birthday."

"I insist."

"Well, it's your choice, but if you do decide to get me something from your trip, then surprise me."

"I will."

Chuckie managed to relax as the raft floated along the river, with logs lined up to keep it from floating off course. "I was pretty excited for this ride," Nicholas remarked, "I love thrill rides like this."

"Ah," Chuckie nodded, "What's your next plan after this?"

"Not sure," He shrugged, "I am looking to ride California Screamin', that sick roller coaster at Paradise Pier."

"Sounds fun," Chuckie remarked, "I'm not a big roller coasters guy. I hope to ride the Ferris Wheel with Shenzi, in the same area."

"I hope you don't go in a swinging car, man. It wouldn't be good for Shenzi's condition."

"Thanks, we don't plan to, anyway. It'll be a bit of a romantic getaway, considering we'll be all alone... I hope."

"Ah," Nicholas chuckled, "Gonna get it on?"

"No," Chuckie laughed, "Don't say stuff like that here, Nick. There are kids he-whoa!"

"Woooo!" The passengers yelled when the raft fell down a drop, and Chuckie felt a splash on top of his head, before they entered a cave with lanterns in the walls. After the raft was outside again, they were sailing smoothly. Chuckie flinched at the sudden scream of adrenaline from elsewhere on the ride, and gripped his seat when the raft was spinning.

"Those lanterns look pretty, don't they?" Nicholas remarked.

"Yeah," Chuckie nodded, "It's too bad Shenzi had to miss out. Although I prefer the baby staying safe."

"Got you there, man. Having a child is worth missing out on one ride that you'll be able to experience other times after."

"Yep," He nodded again, "Although I wish I had my phone with me, to take pictures for her. I gave it to her, so it wouldn't get wet."

"I made this pouch for mine," Nicholas held up a vertically-zip-front pouch that was the size of the current iPhone on his lanyard, "It can protect it from anything." He snapped pictures of the lights, then quickly put his phone back in the pouch. "I'll send those to you."

"Thanks. I'd appreciate tha-Aaaahhh!" They went sliding down a bigger drop, getting splashed once again. Chuckie's hair was now almost soaked. When he caught a glimpse of his wife, he shot his waving hand up. "Hey, Shen!"

"Hi!" She waved back, after getting splashed a little bit.

Once they were sailing smoothly again, Nicholas turned to the redhead. "That was Shenzi, huh? She's looking great."

"Yep," He nodded, "She's not exactly showing yet, but she still has occasional sickness from expecting."

"Ah. What're your plans after this?"

"I dunno," Chuckie shrugged, "Shen and I have to look at the map. Since she picked this ride, but couldn't go on it, I'm going to let her pick the next one."

"Good idea, dude."

Before long, they were back at the station. They fell forward when their raft collided with another one, then were in the track at the dock. After being granted permission, the passengers disembarked, and walked up the staircase. "Alright, let's go find your wife."

"Yeah." On the way over, they exchanged numbers with one another.

"You saw Chuckie?" Kimi asked Shenzi.

"Yep," She replied, "He seemed to be having a fun time."

"That's good. I'm sorry you couldn't ride too."

"It's okay. There are other times."

"That is true. Have you guys stopped at the World of Disney yet?"

"You mean the huge store in the downtown district? No, not yet. We plan on stopping there after we're done at the parks."

"Sounds like a plan."

"We'll need to use a map for that store alone, though," The birthday girl giggled.

"That'd be a good idea," Kimi agreed, "It's almost the size of the Big Mall's first level!"

"Yep," She nodded, and initially didn't notice her husband standing to her right, "It's going to be awesome, tho... Chuckie!" She jumped on him in an embrace, not caring that he was wet. "How was the ride?"

"It was great," He replied, his hair still dripping, "I can't wait 'til you're able to ride it. Who called my phone?"

"Kimi did," She gave his phone to him, "She's still on the line."

"Thanks," He held the phone to his ear, still holding his wife close, "Hey, Kimi!"

"Hi, Chuck! How were the rapids?"

"They were fun; Pretty refreshing. It's still pretty hot out."

"Ah. Well, I'm designing wedding invitations right now."

"Nice," He nodded, "What's the theme?"

"Japanese."

"Of course it is," He chuckled.

"Haha, funny. I'm gonna let you guys continue on with your day."

"Alright. Love you, sis."

"I love you too, bro."

"Bye."

"Bye."

He then hung up, and turned to Shenzi. "I ran into Nicholas Tom on the rapids."

"Nicholas? Wow!" She turned, and saw him. "Hi, Nicholas!"

"Hey Shenzi," He walked up to them, "Congrats on your baby, and happy birthday."

"Thanks! What brings you here?"

"Ah, just a regular run-of-mill day. Takin' a solo vacation."

"Oh," She nodded, "How were the rapids for you?"

"They were epic! It's too bad you can't ride them yet."

"Well, I won't be pregnant forever," She shrugged, "But thanks."

"Hey, Shen?" She looked up at her husband. "Um, Nicholas told me that while we were on our break, you went on a date with him, but you forgot to bring up his name."

"Ohh!" She lightly facepalmed. "Man, I have a bad memory! I'm sorry, Chuckie!"

"It's okay, Shen. I know you don't exactly have an eidetic memory. Don't worry about it." He kissed her forehead.

"Well, I'll leave you guys to have the rest of your day," Nicholas started walking away, "Have a good birthday, Shenz'!"

"Thanks, Nick!" She waved to him. "Have fun on your solo vacation!"

"Bye!" Chuckie waved to him, then turned to his wife. "So Shen, since you couldn't ride this after picking it out, you can choose our next destination."

"Thanks," She smiled, and gave him his jacket back after taking the map out of the pocket. "Hmm... ooh! There's the Little Mermaid! That should be gentle enough for me!"

"Alrighty then," He nodded, "To the sea we go. Lead the way." As she walked to their destination, he wrung as much water from his hair as he could. Feeling sneaky, he quickly wrung some water on her head.

"Hey!" She laughed in surprise. "That's cold!"

"Good," He chuckled, "Did you get splashed while I was riding?"

"Yeah, a few times," She nodded, "It felt pretty nice. Although... it was kind of lonely without you there with me, until Kimi called."

"Aww," He held her by her shoulders again, "Well, your big ol' hubby is back."

"Pfft," She snorted with a giggle, "Big."

"Hey, I may not be buff, but I'm a whole head taller than you," He chuckled.

"I know," She laughed, "I was kidding. I'm glad you and Nicholas had fun, though."

"Thanks. But I know I'll have more fun when I ride with you."

She leaned up, and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Chuckie."

"My pleasure, Shen."

"We're here!" She folded the map, and gave it back to him, before they encountered two cast members; One man, one woman. "Ooh, I love your outfits! Can I take your picture?" Her husband chuckled as she took out her phone.

"Sure!" The woman agreed, and posed with the man.

"1, 2, 3!" Shenzi snapped a clear picture. "Thanks!" She then arrived at the back of the line with Chuckie.

"Wow, only 9 minutes," He remarked. "Yep!" Shenzi nodded. "And at least it's all in the shade." "Yeah," He agreed, "It's still pretty warm out, but it's nice and cool in here." The 9 minutes flew by quickly, so the couple boarded a green clam shell car, lowering the handlebar.

* * *

 **(A/N: Well, there's chapter 9, and part 8 of Shenzi's birthday! You know the disclaimer. Nicholas is from the AGU episode "The Science Pair." When I read that pregnant women couldn't ride the Grizzly River Run, I improvised. And I didn't realize they couldn't go on Soarin' Around The World either, until after I wrote that part. Oh well; She's alright. XD)**


	11. Shenzi's Birthday Pt 9

**(A/N: Okay, the original plan was to update "Could It Be" and this story in turn, but after I finished one part of this chapter, I ended up with what is below. Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 10

* * *

 _The 9 minutes flew by quickly, so the couple boarded a green clam shell car, lowering the handlebar._

They moved into where the ride officially began, with Scuttle telling the story of the movie, while playing an accordion, until he stopped himself from getting too far ahead. The couple watched in awe as they entered the underwater area, where the engineers used very impressive water effects. Above their heads, they saw a projection of Ariel and Flounder, along with fish sculptures, with "Part of That World" playing. Chuckie smiled when Shenzi quietly sang along, before they arrived at the grotto, where Ariel was singing. After passing through a tunnel with various fish and starfish, they encountered encountered the scene with "Under the Sea", as the couple sang along together.

They then came to the tunnel to Ursula's lair, with Flotsam and Jetsam above them, and heard "Poor Unfortunate Souls" as they rode by Ursula at her cauldron, where they saw a movie clip of Ariel losing her voice. The clam shell then rode in another tunnel with sad-looking, glowing eyes. In one hole, they saw a projection of Ariel's transformation into a human. Then, they came to the lagoon, where "Kiss the Girl" took place, passing through a passageway of vines with pelicans holding them back. "Kiss the girl? Whatever you say," Chuckie shrugged, then gently turned Shenzi's head to face him, and kissed her lips, making her blush and giggle. They then saw a projection of Ariel finally getting her voice back, by kissing Eric, as they were in silhouettes. For the last part, they saw Ariel and Eric's wedding on the ship, and her friends from the sea, including her father King Triton, witnessing and dancing happily, with fireworks going off in the sky. Scuttle concluded the story as they were heading for the station.

"I love that movie," Shenzi remarked, "And this ride."

"As do I," Chuckie agreed. After they disembarked, they walked back outside. "Boy, it sure cooled off."

"Yeah," Shenzi nodded, lightly rubbing her upper arms.

"Hey, you have a sweater in your purse, don't you?"

"Oh, yeah! I do! I forgot about it!" She took the pins off her shirt, took the sweater out of her purse, and asked him to hold her stuff. After he did, she pulled the sweater over her head; He blushed when he saw her belly button come into view completely, before it was concealed again. She then stuck the pins on her sweater, and took her purse back. "Ah," She sighed in relaxation, pulling her hair out from under the neck hole, "That's better. What's next?"

"Hmm," Chuckie looked at the map, "Hey, there's a Ghirardelli sundae shop nearby. What do you say?"

"Sounds great!" She agreed. "Let's do it! I'm still not quite full yet," She giggled, "Neither is our baby."

"I'm not either," He nodded, as he started leading the way.

"I'm glad we brought Lactaids," She remarked.

"Me too," He agreed, "I'd hate for you to get a stomachache."

"Mm," She nodded, then yawned.

"Don't fall asleep on me, babe," He chuckled as they crossed the bridge, "We've still got things to do, birthday girl."

"I know," She giggled. After walking past the Pacific Wharf Cafe, they arrived at their destination. "We're here!" She cheered. "What do you want to get?"

"I dunno," He smiled amusedly at her excitement, "I haven't seen the selections yet." As they waited in line, they made mental notes on what to get.

"How may I help you?" The woman greeted them. "Are you two together?"

"Yes ma'am," Shenzi nodded, "Umm, I'll get a Crissy Fields Cookie Bits Sundae, and a Colossal Chocolate Chip Cookie."

"I'll," Chuckie couldn't hold back small laughter at his wife's big order, before regaining himself, "You're going to get in a sugar coma. Okay uh, I'll have a Treasure Island Warm Brownie Sundae without almonds, please. We're Chuckie and Shenzi."

"Coming right up. Please wait at register 4."

The couple walked to the area in front of the counter with numbers on them, to wait for their order. "What was funny there?" Shenzi giggled. "My order?"

"Yeah, j-just you ordering with your stomach," He admitted, "It sounds kind of big for you."

"I'll be fine," She assured him, "I want to take pictures of my sundae and cookie before eating them, to show our families and friends."

"Sounds good," He nodded, "I think I'll do that too."

"Shenzi, Chuckie?" The woman called them from register 4, and they came up. "Here are your sundaes, and your cookie. You want anything to drink?"

"I'd like a water bottle, please," She decided.

"Me too," He added.

"Alright," She took two water bottles out of the fridge, and gave one to each of them.

Chuckie paid the $30, received change back, and they grabbed their stuff. "Chuck, I could've paid for mine," Shenzi pointed out.

"Now Shen," He smiled down at her, "As I said earlier, like this whole trip, it's my treat. Besides, these don't count as souvenirs," He chuckled.

"Oh yeah," She laughed, "Well okay, if you insist."

"I do," He nodded, "Now let's get some spoons and napkins, and go sit outside."

"'Kay," She agreed, and after they grabbed some napkins and utensils, they headed outside. They sat at a round table with a blue umbrella and two chairs, then sat across from each other. She snapped a clear picture of her treats, took a Lactaid with her water, then looked up at her husband. "Let's dig in!" She took a bite from her sundae, and moaned in delight at the taste. "Oh, so good!" She sent a mass text message to her family, with the photo and **Guess where we're at!** written beneath it.

After taking a good picture of his sundae, Chuckie scooped out a spoonful of ice cream, brownie, and whipped cream, then stuck it in his mouth. "Wow, that is awesome." He then sent a mass text message to his family, reading **Look where we're eating!** with the picture he took. "Want a bite, Shen?" The brownie itself is so good, it's stupid."

She giggled at his choice of words. "Sure." She scooped out a smaller spoonful, and ate it up. "Wow, it _is_ stupid good!" He chuckled at her enthusiasm, as she pulled a small amount off his brownie, and ate it. "You want a bite of my sundae?"

"Mm, okay," He shrugged, and had a bite. "Wow, that's great!"

They then focused on their own treats instead of each other's, although she sneaked little pieces of his brownie whenever she had the chance, as he pretended not to notice. Soon, she was done with her sundae, and started eating her big cookie. It had to be as tall as her hand, if not taller! As he ate his vanilla ice cream, his gaze was locked on her cookie, before she noticed. "You want some?" She broke off a big piece, and gave it to him.

"Thanks, sweetheart," He dipped it in his ice cream, and took a bite. "Man, that's great. Really soft."

"Yep," She agreed, "Fresh out of the oven. If you want another piece, just speak up, okay?"

"I will," He nodded, and took another bite.

After some time later, they were done. After throwing out their spoons and napkins, and setting their cup and bowl in the proper place, they headed off to a nearby bench. To his amusement, she laid face-up on the bench with a satisfied groan, so her head was in his lap, on one leg. "You okay there?" He asked her, as he couldn't help but feel a little concerned.

"Uh huh," She nodded, drawing her words out, "I just need to rest for a bit. I feel like I'm going into a sugar coma."

"Told you," He chuckled under his breath, "Just tell me when you can walk again, then we'll head to wherever we decide go next."

"'Kaykay," She muttered, and let out a lazy yawn. Chuckie patted her head, then unfolded the map so they could both see it. "Anything look fun to you?"

"Mmm..." She pondered, "Let's head to Paradise Pier. It's dark enough to go on the Ferris Wheel without the sun blinding us. Plus, they have fun games!"

"Alright," He nodded, "Anything in Cars Land that interests you?"

"Mm, not really," She shrugged.

"Same here, so we'll head to Paradise Pier after we recover."

"Yay," She smiled tiredly.

"Just tell me when you're ready, okay?"

"I will," She nodded, and laid her hands on her chest to relax. Chuckie smiled down at her, as he waited for her to recover from her sugar binge. She did have a big order, but she managed to finish it, even with small brownie pieces added in. Truthfully, he was impressed. After around a minute or two, she spoke up. "Okay, I'm good now." She slowly sat up, with her arms and hands supporting herself, and stood on the ground with him.

"Alright, let's head over there." He started leading her to Paradise Pier with the map, crossing the bridge once again.

"So, how was your sundae for you?" She asked him after a beat of silent.

"It was amazing," He glanced at her, "Yours?"

"So good," She replied, "They have the best cookies."

"Yes they do," He nodded, before they passed the Paradise Pier gate. "Well, here we are."

"Paradise Pier!" She exclaimed with excitement. They walked deeper into the area, and stopped by the river, where the roller coaster track was beneath the walkway.

"So, what first?" Chuckie asked her.

"Hmm, ooh! There's the mermaid carousel!" She ran to it, practically dragging her amused husband behind, and after a few short seconds, she made such a sudden stop, he accidentally bumped into her. "Oh!"

"Sorry," He smiled sheepishly, "You just stopped too quickly."

"It's okay," She giggled, and led him to the back of the line.

"Looks like we'll be waiting only 5 minutes, like with the first carousel," Chuckie pointed out.

"Awesome!" She cheered. "I want to ride a seahorse!"

"Whatever you want, birthday girl," He chuckled, "But let's check to see if it's safe for you and the baby first."

"'Kaykay," She nodded. He couldn't help but smile at her; She sounded adorable when saying that.

He leaned down and kissed her cheek, making her smile grow. "I'm having the best day with you."

"And I you," She looked up at him, "This is the greatest birthday anyone could ever ask for." She hugged him tightly, with him reciprocating. "Thanks so much for taking me here."

"It's my pleasure," He kissed her hair behind her ear, with his hands on her head and shoulders, "Anything for the love of my life, and the mother of my baby." They hated to break away from the sweet, romantic embrace, but they had to in order to move up. Luckily for them, they made it to the front. "Um, excuse me, sir?"

The Cast Member in question looked to him. "Yes?"

"My wife here is a few weeks pregnant, not even a month," He explained, "Would it be okay for her to ride one of the animals?"

"She should be alright," The man nodded, "As long as she follows the safety rules."

"Okay, thanks," Chuckie nodded. He and Shenzi walked up on the structure, where she boarded an orange seahorse with his help, and he sat on a blue-green whale next to her. "You buckled in?"

"Yep," She nodded, gripping on the bar. After a whistle blow was heard, the carousel started spinning slowly. "Weee!" She cheered, keeping her grip on the bar firm. As they rode, they heard screams from the roller coaster nearby.

Chuckie's heart fluttered when Shenzi laid her head on her hands and bar, and smiled lovingly at him. For the longest time, he thought he would end up with Lil, considering how close of friends they were; That is, until he crashed into his future loved one on that special day in the 5th grade. He was happy with Shenzi, and nothing could ever change that. And Lil was happy with Harold, although they had yet to be married. He did admit that Lil was a beautiful girl, as were his other female friends, but they had nothing on his wife. When he carefully reached forward and brushed her cheek with one hand, letting the carousel control his up-and-down movements, a shy blush grew on her face. They carefully leaned towards each other, and shared a kiss for a split second, then held onto their bars again.

After about a minute or two, the carousel started slowing down, and after a whistle blew out again, it stopped completely. Chuckie jumped down off his whale, then lifted Shenzi off of her seahorse after she unbuckled herself. "Thanks," She giggled.

"Anything for you," He kissed her forehead, and they exited the ride.

"What's next?" She asked him. "It's your turn to pick."

"'Kay," He nodded, and looked around. Everything was close enough to them, so he didn't need the map. "Let's go to the games."

"Okay! Sounds fun!" Hand-in-hand, they headed for the Games of the Boardwalk. Shenzi jumped harshly and ducked down when the roller coaster roared above them.

"It's okay, Shen," He comforted her in his arms as her hand was over her heart.

"Phew," She panted ever so slightly, "I did not expect that," She giggled, "Come on, let's keep going." They quickly walked away from the roller coaster track, and arrived at the games area. "Here we are!"

"Let's get player cards," Chuckie led her to the booth, where they each got a card to play the games with. "Which should we do first?"

"Hmm... how about the Dumbo game?" She suggested.

"Let's do it," He nodded, and they headed for it. They waited patiently as 5 guests were already playing, but after a short time, they were done. The couple sat at ladders 2 and 3, with Chuckie to Shenzi's left after paying the credit amount with their cards.

"Alright, in order to get your firefighter clowns up to the top of the ladders, you have to spray the target!" He announced the rule with a lot of enthusiasm. "Whichever one gets their clown up first wins! Ready, set, fire!"

At the cue, they and 3 other players started spraying the targets. Shenzi remained entirely focused on the bullseye, while whistling along to the catchy circus music. After a couple seconds, she made it to the top first! "Yay, I won!" She cheered.

"Yes you did!" The man nodded. "Now, do you want Dumbo, or Timothy Mouse?"

"Umm, Timothy," She decided.

"Alright!" He grabbed one of the adorable plushes, and gave it to her. "Here you go, sweetheart!"

"Thank you!" She then walked away with Chuckie. "Isn't he cute?" She cooed.

"Yep," He nodded, feeling happy for her, "What's next?"

"It's your turn to pick the game," She pointed out.

"Alright," He shrugged, and looked around, "Hmm... how about the baseball game?"

"Sounds great!" She nodded, and they walked up to it.

"Hey! You two want to play next?" The Cast Member asked them.

"Yes ma'am," Chuckie nodded, and he and his wife stood at umpires 1 and 2.

After another guest stood at 3, they were ready to begin. "Okay," The woman gave each player 8 baseballs, "If you throw 3 balls into the catchers' mitt, you win a prize! A-a-a-and go!" After a whistle blew, they started throwing their balls. Shenzi threw one ball in the hole, the 3rd guest threw 2, and Chuckie won with 3. "You won! Which prize do you want, sir? You either get a Mudville dog, or Casey!"

"Umm, I'll have Casey," He decided.

"Alright!" She gave one of the tall plushes to him. "Here you go!"

"Thanks!" He nodded.

"You're very welcome! Have a good day, you two!"

"Thanks!" Shenzi waved as they walked away. "Do we have enough points for one more game?"

"We should after we redeem them," He replied, "Why? You want to play one more game?"

"Uh huh!" She nodded. "The fishing game! Let's go!" After refilling their cards, they walked up to the game, where a young kid was already playing. After he was done, the couple walked up.

"Okay, who's playing next?" The Cast Member asked them.

"I am," Shenzi raised her hand a bit.

"Looks like we're having a birthday today!"

"Yes sir," She nodded with a small smile.

"Well, you can win a very nice present here!" He gave her a magnetic fishing pole. "Okay girlie, if your fish has a green dot, you get a small prize, if it's blue, then it'll be medium, and red is for large!"

"Got it," She nodded enthusiastically.

"You want to play, sir?" He asked Chuckie.

"Oh, no thanks," He shook his head, "I'm just watching my wife."

"Wife? Nice! Okay birthday girl, get ready, set, go!" With that, he opened the tunnel and let the toy fish float freely in the water. Shenzi watched the fish with hard concentration, before lunging her fishing pole onto one, latching it on by the magnets. "Alright, you got one! What's the color?"

She turned it over, and saw the color. "It's green!" She replied happily. She loved small plushes.

"Okay, so you get a small prize!" He set little Mickey and Goofy plushes in fisherman outfits on the counter. "Which do you want, missy?"

"Goofy!" She decided, and grabbed onto it enthusiastically.

"Alright!" He put Mickey back with the others. "Have a good birthday!"

"Thanks!" They walked away from the booth. "Can you hold my stuff? I need to take a little wee-wee."

"Okay," He chuckled at her choice of words, as he held onto her plushes. While she rushed to the restrooms near the carousel, he watched her to ensure her safety. After she was out of sight, he turned to watch the guests playing the games. He watched the Bullseye game, noticing the small, cute prizes, and remembered he still had enough points on his card for one more game. Getting an idea, he walked up to the game.

"Hey there! You want to race?" The Cast Member asked him.

"Yes I do," He nodded, "I'd like to try to win a little prize for my wife; Today is her birthday. She's in the restroom right now."

"Aww, how sweet! Pick any race horse you want, sir!" He sat at number 6, and carefully set the plushes on the counter.

"Hey, Chuck! Lotta toys there!" He was surprised when Nicholas greeted him from booth 8.

"Hi, Nicholas!"

"You want to race with me?"

"Absolutely," He nodded, "Also, the little plushes are Shenzi's. She's in the restroom."

"Ah," The purple-haired boy understood, "You're on, Chuck."

"Same to you, Nick."

"Alright," The woman rolled some balls to the two players, "Ready, get set... race!"

At the cue, the boys started rolling the balls quickly and profusely, Chuckie motivated by Shenzi's eyes brightening up at his probable surprise. After a second or two, the race was over. "Number 6 wins!" The woman cheered, and the boys shared a high-five. "Okay, you can get a little horse or Woody for your wife! Which will it be?"

"Um... a horse," Chuckie picked the black and white horse with a 6 on the saddle.

"Good race, man," Nicholas congratulated him, "Shen ought to love that little guy."

"She will," He nodded, then turned to the woman, "Thanks."

"You're welcome! Hope your wife enjoys her new little friend!"

He then headed to the carousel restroom after grabbing the plushes back off the counter, and quickly hid the newest one when Shenzi came dashing up. "Hey! Were you playing the racing game?"

"Yep," He nodded, "With Nicholas. And uh, let me give you your first birthday present." He carefully held the horse out to her.

"Aww!" She squealed, and held it in her hands after taking her prizes back from him. "Thanks so much!" She hugged him the best she could, and he reciprocated. "I love him! He's so cute!"

"My pleasure," He smiled at her joy, "Come on, let's go on the Ferris Wheel."

"'Kaykay!" She nodded, and bouncily followed him.

"You're the lucky wife?" The woman at the racing game received their attention when they walked by the booth.

"Yes ma'am," She nodded.

"You like your new horse?"

"Oh, yes!" She nodded again with more enthusiasm. "He's adorable!"

"I'm glad! You have a good birthday, sweetie!"

"Thanks, I am! And I will!" The couple then walked to the line for the Fun Wheel's stationary gondolas.

"Looks like we'll be waiting about 20 minutes," Chuckie pointed out after seeing the sign.

"'Kay," She nodded, then sighed happily. "This is one of the best days of my life."

"It's one of mine too," He agreed, and held her closer with his free arm.

"I can't wait to tell our future child about today."

"Me neither. I wonder how he or she will react, after finding out you were pregnant with him or her during this time?"

"Who knows?" She shrugged, holding her game prizes closer. "But I'm going to remember this day for as long as I live."

"As will I," He nodded, and kissed her lips for a second.

"Hey, guys!" They looked back, and saw Nicholas. "I'm gonna go in a swinging car! I'll see you up there! Don't do anything you'll regret!" He then ran in the appropriate line.

When Shenzi and Chuckie looked up at each other, they stifled laughter. "I wasn't planning on doing anything regrettable," Chuckie remarked, "This is a kids place, after all."

"Yep," Shenzi nodded, "Same here."

Soon, the 20 minutes were up, and the couple were up for boarding. "Whoa," The Cast Member looked surprised at the amount of game plushes, "Good thing you're going in on your own," He laughed with them, "Go right ahead."

"Thanks," Chuckie nodded, and they sat on the seats to their right. He sat to her left as she made herself comfortable, with her toys and purse safe and snug in her lap. After about a minute, the wheel started spinning, surprising Shenzi into holding onto Chuckie. "It's okay, Shen," He comforted her as she smiled up at him, "At least we're not in a swinging car."

"True," She nodded, "I hope Nicholas is having fun. Hey, there's our hotel!" She pointed out.

"Oh yeah!" He laughed. "I can see our room from here! I think..."

"I think so," She giggled, and laid on his shoulder, "This is so relaxing."

"Yep," He nodded, "Romantic too." He rested his head on hers. "There's a great view of the park." He kissed her forehead at her hairline, as she hugged her toys and purse closer.

They were surprised by a ringtone blaring from her phone, as she took it out. "Hey, Mom wants to video chat!" She turned on Facetime, and held her phone out with one hand. "Hi, Mom!"

"Hi, sweetie!" Felicia greeted her. "Hey, Chuckie!"

"Hi!" He waved after leaning into view.

"How's your day going?"

"It's so amazing," Shenzi replied happily, "We played the boardwalk games before riding in here, and we got prizes! Firstly, I got this little Timothy Mouse from the Dumbo game," She pointed to him with her free hand, "Then Chuckie won this big guy from the baseball game," She pointed her phone camera at her husband, and he held up his prize, "Then at the fishing game, I got this little Goofy," She pointed to the next one in her lap, "Then while I was in the bathroom, Chuckie won this little cutie!" She pointed to the plush horse.

"How nice! I'm glad you're having fun! What are your plans after this?"

"Um, we'll probably hit the shops, including The World of Disney in downtown, then we'll head back to the hotel," Chuckie replied after Shenzi pointed her phone to him.

"Ah," Felicia nodded.

"Oh! We also rode the mermaid carousel before playing the games," Shenzi added after remembering, "And the Little Mermaid ride."

"Ooh, fun!"

"Also, Chuckie rode the rapids. I couldn't, considering I'm pregnant, but I convinced him to go without me."

"How were the rapids, Chuckie?" Felicia asked him.

"They were awesome," He replied, "But I know they'll be even better when Shen's able to ride."

"Well, I'm glad you two are having fun."

"I am a little sad that today's coming to an end, though," Shenzi glumly remarked.

"Aww," Her mother frowned sympathetically, "Well, all days must come to an end, honey. But you'll always have the memories."

"That is true," She nodded, "I do miss you guys."

"We miss you too. We all can't wait to hear about your day! We'll do cake and presents for you tomorrow."

"Awesome," She smiled excitedly, "I want Chuckie to be there."

"I'll be there," He assured her.

"Yay," She cheered calmly, and kissed his cheek.

"Well, I'll let you go and enjoy the ride, okay?" Felicia asked them.

"Alright," They nodded.

"Have a good day, or night."

"We will," Shenzi nodded.

"I love you, honey."

"I love you too, Mom."

"Bye." They both turned Face time off, and Shenzi took pictures of the view they had from both sides, as did Chuckie.

When they were at the top, they snapped more pictures, then smiled at each other. "I love you, Chuckie Finster." She kissed the side of his head with a little "mwah."

"I love you too, Shenzi Tuck-Finster," He rested his temple on hers, as they gazed into each other's eyes. When the Ferris Wheel moved, they stayed as they were, although they moved their heads to watch the view change. "Hey, there's Nicholas!" He spotted their friend in a swinging car with Minnie's face on it.

"Looks like he's having fun," She remarked, hearing his yells of excitement and seeing him hold his arms up. They each sneaked a picture of him, and snickered together. "I um, I was hoping to ride the Symphony Swings today, but... considering I'm pregnant, I don't think that's a good idea."

"I agree," He nodded sympathetically, "But they're not going to walk away, y'know. After the baby is born, we can come back, and you can ride whatever you want."

"Yay," She smiled tiredly, and let out a yawn, "I'm getting tired."

"Well, after we do a little shopping, we'll head back to the hotel. Maybe we can lounge by the pool, then we'll go to bed."

"'Kay," She nodded.

After a few blissful minutes, they were back on the bottom of the wheel. After the door was opened, they exited with their stuff in hand, and walked back to the boardwalk. "So, now what?" Shenzi looked up at Chuckie.

"Well, let's see what the shops have to offer." After some browsing without finding anything, they walked back outside. "Alright, let's head to the World of Disney."

"Yay!" She cheered, before he started leading her with the map.

* * *

 **(A/N: I hope this chapter was good! You know the disclaimer. Maybe since the next chapter will most likely wrap up Shenzi's birthday, I should just write it next?)**


	12. Shenzi's Birthday Pt 10

**(A/N: Okay, after this, "Could It Be" will be updated! Enjoy this chapter!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 11

* * *

The couple walked through the park, passing the Little Mermaid ride, the Grand Californian Hotel, the rapids, and Soaring Around the World, before reaching the entrance. "Phew," Shenzi puffed out, "My feet are getting sore."

"They are?" Chuckie turned to her. "Here, hold this." He gave her his backpack, and she slung the straps on her shoulders. "And this?" He then gave her his large plush after she put her little ones in the backpack with his help. He then bent down, with his back to her. "Now, hop on."

She giggled and jumped up on his back, so the plush Casey was sandwiched between them, and she was safe and secure with her hands clasped at his collar bone. "Thanks, Chuck."

"No problem, Shen."

"You sure your feet aren't getting sore?"

"Nah, I'm fine. Besides, I don't think you're strong enough to carry me," He laughed with her.

"True," She snickered, and laid on his back to relax. Chuckie's cheeks blushed when he felt her snuggle in his hair and neck, and let out a yawn. He wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her, but didn't want to burden her sore feet. When he passed the entrance, he stifled a grin at the male Cast Member's surprised look at the scene before him.

"Now _that's_ a good husband," A female Cast Member remarked to the man, spotting their wedding rings, "He's sweet, willing to let his wife rest her feet."

Chuckie smiled when he felt Shenzi's breath even out. She was sleeping like a beautiful baby as he carried her to the huge store. When he passed by a building with a window, he saw her looking peaceful on his back, like she didn't have a care in the world. When he saw a woman making a heart with her hands at him, indicating he looked adorable with his girl, his smile grew and he kept walking.

After a few more minutes, he arrived at the World of Disney. He carefully set Shenzi on her feet, then quickly turned around to hold her before she could fall, with Casey still in between them. "Shen? We're here." He gently nudged her shoulder when she laid her head on his chest. "Shenzi?" With a smirk, he sneaked his fingers to her shoulder, and tickled her neck.

"Ehehehe!" Her shoulders shot up to her cheeks, as she woke up. "Oh, we're here!"

"That's what I said," He chuckled, before they walked in. They went through the entrance with Tweedledum and Tweedledee above their heads, and were met with an amazing sight: Disney merchandise, as far as the eye could see!

"Whoa," She breathed in awe.

"I have an idea," Chuckie turned to her, "Why don't we go shop separately? It's nothing against you, I promise!" He stroked her hair for a second, as she smiled. "We'll each take a picture of the map, then go our separate ways. I can get you presents without ruining the surprise for you."

"What if we pick out the same thing by accident?" She asked him.

"Umm... you'll pay for your choices first, then I'll put back any duplicates. We'll meet up at the map."

"Okay!" She nodded. After taking the required picture with their phones, they turned to each other. "'Kay, have fun!"

"I'll try," He kissed her lips, "It'll be hard to have fun without you."

"Vice versa," She smiled, "I'll try not to take too long." With that, they walked away.

"Don't talk to any strangers unless they work here!" He called out to her.

"Yes, Daddy!" She called back with a laugh, then continued walking. At the toys sections, she immediately selected a Mickey and Pluto plush train set for the baby, plus an Ariel plush Emoji and a little tram Tsum Tsum for herself. She then made a beeline for the apparel; She found a black and white Haunted Mansion dress, a Mickey Tee Dress, a light purple Ariel inspired tank top with a peplum hem, and red Mickey shorts with his pants design. Then, two things in separate locations caught her eye.

Chuckie was browsing for good presents for his wife after finding a grey California Adventure ringer t-shirt for himself. In the toy section after she walked away, he saw a die-cast figure of the tram that she loved. He then grabbed one to give her, and continued looking. It wasn't long before he grabbed a plush Cheshire Cat as well. He prayed that she wouldn't have any duplicates; He'd hate to put anything that he picked out especially for her back where he found it/them. He then found a metal Mickey's Fun Wheel model kit for her, thinking it would be fun for the two of them to assemble together, then keep as a souvenir. In a box of small necessities, he saw car antenna toppers, and had an idea. Hoping Shenzi didn't have one already, he grabbed a superhero Mickey icon topper with a spring base, and kept browsing the store. When a certain section caught his eye, he quickly walked to it.

Shenzi walked up to what piqued her interest, and grabbed them off the racks. She had found a red Minnie Mouse hat "Original Mouseketeer" t-shirt for herself, and a matching one for guys with a Mickey hat on the front for Chuckie. She was tempted to find a onesie for the baby, but refrained, since they didn't know the gender yet. She decided to wait until next time, hoping that they would still be available by that time. She then walked to the register, and waited in line. In the bakery section, she caught a glimpse of red hair and purple glasses, so she quickly turned away, not wanting any spoilers. After paying for her purchases, she headed for the directory to wait for her husband.

After walking away from the bakery section, Chuckie headed back to the map to meet up with his wife. When he saw her, his heart jumped in fear when she looked at him, but he relaxed when she quickly covered her eyes. "Hey, Shen. Can I check your bag?"

"Uh huh," She nodded and held her large bag open with her eyes closed. Secretly, she put her t-shirt for him in her purse to hide it.

He carefully dug through the bag, feeling relief when he didn't see anything he already had picked out. "Okay, there are no duplicates in here. Let's meet up at the entrance we went through; I need to pay for these."

"'Kaykay," She nodded, keeping her eyes closed.

When he walked behind her back, facing away from her, he smiled. "Okay, you can look now."

"Phew," She sighed in relief as she opened her eyes, and walked to the Wonderland twins entrance to wait for him.

He waited in line, praying that she would be happy with what he bought for her, and that she wasn't trying to spy on him. After paying for everything, he walked up to her while holding the bag firmly closed, and they sat on a stone bench with some grass and plants behind their heads. "Okay, first off," He took out two cake pops, keeping the one with Mickey ears and giving her the one with Minnie ears, "These can be for the tram line."

"Ooh, yummy!" She smiled widely. "Thanks!"

"And uh, speaking of the tram," He took out the boxed die-cast figure for her to see, "I thought it'd make a good decoration."

"Ohh!" She admired it with joy. "Awesome!"

"Here, you can look through the bag," He nudged it closer to her, "I'll hold your cake pop."

After she gave it to him, she dug through the bag after he took out the grey t-shirt, saying that was for him. "Aww!" She hugged the Cheshire Cat. "Ohh, cool!" She took out a book featuring the posters of the Disney Parks. "This looks fun!" She took out the model kit. Chuckie hid a smile when she had taken everything out, except a certain something. When she took out the box, she almost lost her breath in surprise. "Pa-Pandora?"

"Yeah," He nodded, "Go ahead and open it."

She opened the box, and let out a small gasp. In the box was a beautiful, black bracelet with multiple charms already on it. There was an Alice teacup, a dangling Mickey pants ear hat, a silhouette of Mickey and Minnie kissing in a heart, a dangling Mickey ear hat with black crystals, a Minnie bow cupcake, Ariel's green dress dangling, a dangling Minnie ear headband, the Ferris Wheel a Minnie bow spacer to keep them on. Now feeling emotional, she looked back and forth at the bracelet, the rest of her presents, and her adoring, smiling husband. "I love you, Shen."

Now at the verge of tears, she buried her face in his shoulder, and hugged him tightly. "I love you too, Chuckie." He hugged her back, as she let out little sniffles, but wasn't full on sobbing. He kissed her head by her hairline as she relaxed in his hold, with her presents in her lap. Although, she forgot a small one by accident. When she drew back, her hand laid on the bag, and she was surprised to feel a small item inside, and realized she had missed something. Feeling eager, she pulled it out, and giggled upon seeing it; It was the antenna topper he had picked out. "Aww, cute!"

"I'm glad you think so," Chuckie gave her cake pop back to her, "It's for our future family car. I only hope it'll have an antenna," He shrugged.

"I'm sure it will," She patted his shoulder, and pecked his lips. "You're the best; I love you."

"I love you too," They shared another kiss, "Happy birthday."

"Thanks," She blinked some tears away, "Um, le-let's get on that tram."

"'Kay," Chuckie nodded, and after she put everything back in the bag, they headed for the station.

After only a few seconds, they arrived at the back of the line. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Shenzi opened her purse, and took out what she bought for him. "I got you a t-shirt! It matches with this one I got for me!" She took the other one out of her shopping bag, and held them up next to each other.

He chuckled as he took the one for him, and admired. "Nice," He nodded, "Thanks, Shen. I love it."

"My pleasure!" She kissed his cheek. "Now we have two pairs of matching shirts!"

"Yep," He nodded with a loving smile.

"I wanted to get a matching baby onesie too, but since we don't know the gender, I decided to wait."

"That's a good idea," He agreed, "Besides, Downtown Disney's not that far away from home anyway."

"True," She nodded.

"Happy birthday!" A little girl in an Elsa dress beamed up at Shenzi.

"Happy birthday to you too," She smiled back upon noticing she had a special pin like hers, while slightly bent down. "Did you have a good day today?"

"Yep! I met Anna and Elsa!"

"Awesome! High-five!" The two birthday girls shared a high-five. "Glad you had a good birthday. I did too." She smiled up at Chuckie.

"Is he your prince charming?" The little girl asked her innocently.

He couldn't help but chuckle at her cuteness. "Yes I am. And... she's my beautiful princess."

"Are you gonna have any kids?"

"Actually, in 9 months, we'll have one," Shenzi nodded.

"Is it a boy, or a girl?"

"We don't know yet," Chuckie shrugged.

"Well, I hope you get a girl. Baby boys are stinky."

The couple burst out laughing at that. "They can be," Shenzi giggled in her hand.

"I resent that," Chuckie playfully snickered, then turned to his wife. "You going to eat your cake pop?" He asked her.

"Oh yeah! Forgot," She giggled, and took a bite, "Mmm, good!"

"I made sure to get chocolate," He told her, before taking a bite from his own treat.

"I love those things!" The little girl's smile grew. "I had one of the Chesh-ire Cat today!"

"Cool! I love the Cheshire Cat!" Shenzi nodded after swallowing. "How was it?"

"Very yummy!"

After a few minutes of the line extending, a tram stopped in front of the line, and the Cast Member allowed them to board. The couple was able to get good seats near the front, after saying goodbye to the girl and her parents. They made themselves comfortable, with Shenzi between her husband, who had his backpack on his lap, and her shopping bag, which she had secure on her arm, as the safety recommendations were given. She rested her head on his shoulder, admiring the presents he gave her. She also showed him everything she bought on her own; He loved everything, especially the plush playset for the baby. She smiled widely as she admired her new Pandora bracelet, fingering the dangling charms gently.

"I'm glad you like your presents," Chuckie rubbed his thumb on her arm over her sweater.

"I love them," She smiled up at him, "They're the best. Thanks so much." She rested both shopping bags in her lap when the tram started moving. For fun, she put her new Minnie Mouse bride headband on her head, as Chuckie wore his Mickey Mouse groom hat. She also bought a classic Minnie headband with sequin ears, while he also had a Mickey sorcerer hat. She sighed in relaxation, watching the lit-up scenery and plants pass by, and laid on his backpack, amusing him when her ear hat was in close view. "What's the pool like at the Paradise Pier hotel?"

"From what I've seen in pictures, it looks great," He replied, "It's on the 3rd floor, so there's a good view."

"Wow," She breathed in awe, "I can't wait for that."

"Me neither," He agreed, "It'll be the perfect way to end your birthday."

"You mean you seeing me in a bikini?" She giggled.

"May-be," He chuckled, as they passed by a road.

Soon, they arrived at the parking lot station, where the buses stopped for passengers. The couple disembarked after the tram stopped, and headed for the bus station with all their bags. After a few minutes, a bus came and stopped in front of them and other guests. "Where are you lovebirds headed?" The driver asked the two.

"The Paradise Pier Hotel," Chuckie quickly explained, not wanting to keep the others waiting, and sat with his wife near the middle, but closer to the front than the back. Once the bus was full, the driver gave the safety rules, and then started driving to the hotels.

"Can I have that Pillow Pet I bought from Small World?" Shenzi requested.

"Sure," Chuckie dug it out of his backpack, and gave it to her, "Here you go, birthday girl."

"Thanks." She rested her feet on the seat after taking her shoes off, laid the pillow on her knees, so the head faced the window, and rested her head on it with a sigh of relaxation, so she was facing her husband. "I'm so tired."

"Well, we can relax by the pool, if you're up to it by the time we're back at the hotel," He laid a hand on her shoulder, "For now, you can just sleep." He started rubbing her shoulder and back soothingly, as she let out a yawn. " _ **Trus-s-st in me-e-e,**_ " He started singing quietly, making her smile, " _ **Jus-s-st in me-e-e.**_ "

"That's the wrong Sterling Holloway character," She mumbled playfully with a little smirk.

"Well, the Cheshire Cat doesn't have a song," He chuckled, "Just go to sleep, my birthday princess." He kissed her cheek after brushing her hair from her face. "I'll wake you when we get there."

With a moan of fatigue, she closed her eyes, and was out like a light. Her glasses were taken off her face for more comfort, so Chuckie put them in the backpack pocket for safekeeping. He rested his head on her shoulder, and stroked her hair as she slept peacefully. Throughout the bus ride, he kept his gaze on his lovely wife until he saw the Paradise Pier hotel out of the corner of his eye.

"Shen?" He whispered to her face. "We're almost there."

"Hmm?" Her eyes blinked open sleepily, as he gave her glasses back to her. "What'd you say?" She fixed her bangs, while trying to keep her eyes open and shifting her feet back in her shoes.

"We're at the hotel," He replied, as she put her pillow back in his backpack. Just a few seconds later, the announcement of their arrival was made, before the bus stopped. The couple disembarked, along with a few other passengers, and walked into the lobby. They walked into the elevator, and arrived at the floor to their room. After Shenzi and Chuckie walked into their room, they flopped face-up on the bed next to each other. "Phew," He puffed out.

"My feet are exhausted," Shenzi turned to him.

"After we rest, we'll change and head for the pool."

"So-sounds good." She flinched in surprise when her phone vibrated and the ringtone for her home number blared out. "Hmm, just says home." She selected answer, and held the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey sweetheart," Friar Tuck greeted his youngest daughter.

"Oh, hi Dad!"

"How'd your day go?"

"It was the best birthday ever! I can't wait to tell you, Mom, and Frankie about it tomorrow! I want to tell you all at once; That's why I want to wait."

"I understand. Did you have any trouble with your... pregnancy?"

"N-no," She stammered nervously, and Chuckie raised an eyebrow at her with a small, patronized smirk.

Her father knew that she wasn't being honest with him. He had known her for her whole life, literally, so he could tell. "You sure about that? You can tell me if you did."

"Well, okay. Um, just before we had dinner... I threw up in the bathroom just before washing up. I didn't want to tell Chuckie, because I was afraid he'd want to take me back here early to rest, but he somehow figured it out on his own."

"Are you still feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling better. Just tired; I slept a few times."

"That's understandable."

"Yep. Although the baby seemed pretty relaxed throughout the day."

"Maybe he or she knew that it was your special day, or still is."

"That's what Chuckie said," She giggled, catching her husband's attention.

"Well, I'm glad you had a good birthday. We miss you over here."

"I miss you guys too. We'll be coming back home tomorrow morning."

"You better," He playfully ordered, making her giggle.

"We will; Promise."

"Good. Well, I need to start on dinner with your mother."

"Okay; I love you, Daddy." Chuckie's heart fluttered. He couldn't wait to hear it directed at him.

"I love you too, baby."

"Bye." She then hung up, and turned to her husband. "Ready to change for the pool?"

"Yep," Chuckie nodded, and they jumped down on the floor. From one of their suitcases, she grabbed two swim pieces without letting him see, and ran in the bathroom. Smirking at her secrecy, Chuckie took out a pair of blue merman scale swim trunks, and replaced his shorts and underwear with them, then put his feet back in his park shoes, leaving his shirt on.

"I'm ready!" His wife called out after opening the bathroom door. He turned, and smiled at seeing Shenzi clad in her own park shoes, her same earrings, a single red hair extension, multiples that faded from black to red, red ruffle swim bottoms with black bows, and a Queen of Hearts halter bikini top. "What do you think?"

"Very nice," He smirked, "Let's get down there."

"'Kaykay," She nodded after pulling her cropped t-shirt back on over her head and grabbing her purse. They then walked out the door, Chuckie keeping their room key in her purse, and walked to the elevator. They then stopped at the 3rd floor, and walked outside to the pool. "Wow," She breathed in awe. Since it was nighttime, all the lights were on, including ones in the pool itself. Yellow lounge chairs and umbrellas lined each long side, and there was a huge, yellow water slide.

"Cool, huh?" Chuckie turned to her.

"It's amazing," Shenzi replied, "Um, is it okay for pregnant women to go in a pool?"

"Hmm, let me see," Chuckie took out his phone, and looked up her question online. "Yeah, you can. It's actually good to swim a little as well. I wouldn't recommend the slide or the jacuzzi, though."

"'Kay," She nodded, "Let's do it." She whipped off her shirt, threw it on her purse, which was on one of the chairs, and ran into the pool on the stairs. After Chuckie took his own shirt off, throwing it with hers, she pulled him into the water, surprising him. After getting their hair wet by going all the way under, they held each other in an embrace, with their arms around each other's necks. "This was the best birthday I've ever had. Disneyland with you? Nothing can ever top that."

"I'm glad," He rested his forehead on hers, "I had a strong feeling that this trip was a good idea."

"I'm so glad you went through with it. I can't wait until we take our child here."

"Me neither, Shen," They shared a kiss, feeling thankful that they were the only ones out there. Some booming sounds from the first park caught their attention. "Hey, there are the fireworks!" They swam to the ledge of the pool to watch the fireworks go off, illuminating the black sky.

"Wow," Shenzi's eyes brightened up at the spectacular show, "It's beautiful."

"Just like you," Chuckie kissed her temple, over her wet hair, and they continued watching. After the fireworks were over, they swam back to the middle of the pool.

"That was wonderful," She remarked.

"Yep," He agreed, "Hey, there's the World of Color!" They scrambled out of the pool, and watched the water show in California Adventure, just barely hearing the audio. After several minutes, when he looked to Shenzi, he saw that her eyes were barely open. "You too tired to watch anymore, Shen?"

"I think so," She mumbled, and let out a yawn, "I'm gonna sit for a bit. You can keep watching, Chuck." She sat on the chair with her purse and their shirts, and was out almost immediately with a little sigh.

After the show ended, Chuckie turned to go back in the pool, but saw his wife sleeping on the chair, with their stuff in her lap. He walked up to the chair, and laid a hand on her shoulder, making her eyes blink open. "You want to go back in the room?"

"Mm hmm," She nodded, and slowly stood up after holding their stuff.

"Let's dry off first." They dried themselves as much as they could, then put their shirts and shoes back on and walked back inside the building. In the hall, a middle-aged man with 3 children seemed to be eyeballing Shenzi as she and her husband walked by. Chuckie shot him a glare, but it was unnoticed. He was relieved when they were alone in the elevator, and remained so until they arrived at the appropriate floor. They walked back to their room, and he showered, then changed into his blue Mickey Mouse and Friends pajamas, consisting of lounge pants and a t-shirt. After rinsing out his swim trunks, he walked out to where his wife was waiting patiently. "Why don't you get ready for bed? You clearly need sleep. I'm going to call my mom real quick."

"'Kay," She nodded, and walked to the bathroom after grabbing pajamas from her suitcase.

Chuckie flopped on the couch, feeling exhausted as well, and selected Kira's number in his list of contacts, and waited for an answer. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait very long. "Hello, Chuckie?"

"Hi Mom," He greeted her. He stopped referring to her by her first name in high school.

"Hi, sweetheart! How'd Shenzi's birthday go?"

"It went greatly. I mean, she's really tired right now, but she's so happy too. I knew this trip was a good idea."

"I'm glad you two had fun. What are you doing right now?"

"Right now, I'm resting my legs and feet before they fall off," He chuckled, "Shenzi's getting ready for bed. I already showered and changed into my pjs."

"Ah."

"We were just at the pool, and we saw the fireworks and the World of Color from there."

"Really? Wow! How were they?"

"They were amazing. Shen didn't see all of the World of Color, because she was getting too tired."

"That's understandable. You both had a big day."

"Yep, we sure did. I'm pretty wiped myself," He yawned.

In the bathroom, Shenzi came out of the shower, her hair now chlorine free, and changed into her pjs. They consisted of black boyshorts, and a black and red Beauty and the Beast babydoll top that covered her shorts, and had tied straps. She had rinsed off her swimsuit before showering, to avoid having any colors fading, and they were now laid out in the bathtub with Chuckie's swim trunks. She then brushed her teeth, trying to keep her eyes open, with her clean hair dripping with water. After rinsing her mouth, she walked out of the bathroom, and saw Chuckie still on his phone, while sitting on the couch.

"You're staying at the Paradise Pier hotel?"

"Yeah," He replied, "It's very cozy. I went with a standard room, which Shenzi is quite happy with, thankfully."

"That's good. Suites can be expensive."

"Yep, but this already feels like a suite. It's, dare I say, sweet."

"Good one," Kira giggled.

"Thanks. So, tomorrow morning, we'll be heading home."

"Alright, thanks for telling me."

"No prob. Shen and I will tell everyone about the- oh!" He was surprised to feel weight on his lap, but smiled upon seeing his wife with wet hair and sexy pjs. "Sorry about that; She's laying on my lap."

"Aww," Kira giggled, "How sweet. Hi, Shenzi!"

"Hi, Kira!" She greeted her mother-in-law tiredly, as her husband rubbed her forehead lovingly.

"Did you have a good birthday?"

"Not just good. It was amazing. Best birthday ever!" She then let out a yawn, as Chuckie ran his fingers through her dripping hair, getting them a little wet.

"That's good. You sound pretty tired, so I'm going to let you two go to bed."

"Alright," He nodded, "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, honey. Oh, I almost forgot! Is the baby okay?"

"Yeah, he or she is," He replied, "He or she seemed pretty relaxed all day."

"Good. Okay, I'll let you go."

"Alright. Bye, Mom. See you tomorrow."

"You too."

They both hung up, and Chuckie looked down at his one and only. "Okay Shen, can I get up? I need to brush my teeth."

"'Kaykay," She nodded and sat up, so he stood on the floor, and walked to the bathroom.

As he brushed his teeth, his heart fluttered when Shenzi's delighted smiles flashed in his mind. Her happiness meant everything to him, no matter what he had to do in order to see it. After rinsing his mouth, he walked out of the bathroom, and saw Shenzi laying on the couch, unintentionally dripping water on the carpet, with her arms by her head. "Okay birthday girl, let's hit the hay." He playfully poked her tummy, making her shoot up and giggle.

"Hey! Don't do that!"

He let an evil smirk grow on his face. "No way, Shen. I've been waiting all day for this." He laid her on their bed, and started tickling her tummy under her top.

"Eek! Heheheheheahahahaha!" She burst into giggles, and tried to push his hands away. Her eyes squeezed shut, and her giggles turned into laughter when he tickled up and down her sides. "Chuckiehehehe, stohohohohop!" She started writhing and squirming on the bed.

After blowing a raspberry in her belly button and attacking her armpits, Chuckie finally drew his hands away. "Okay, I'm done. Let's get some sleep." Shenzi panted through remaining giggles as she pulled her top back down, and crawled up to the pillows in front of him.

She then shifted into his arms, and laid on his chest. "Chuckie?"

"Yes, Shen?"

"Thanks for everything. This was truly the best birthday of my life."

"It's my pleasure," He kissed her forehead over her damp bangs, "We had a lot of fun together."

"Yep," She nodded, "I'll never forget this day."

"Me neither. Now um, let's get some sleep." Chuckie yawned as he and Shenzi took off their glasses, and he set them on the table. "G'night, my birthday princess."

"G'night, my handsome prince." After they kissed for a second, she laid back on his chest and was asleep instantaneously.

Chuckie was just barely awake, running his fingers through his wife's soft, damp, clean hair. He loved his friends and family, but he was going to miss spending the entire day with her, and her alone. She was his for 24 hours, and 2 nights. After yawning, then kissing her head, he drifted off to sleep, holding her closer.

* * *

 **(A/N: You know the disclaimer. Well, Shenzi's birthday has officially come to an end! But this story is just beginning! It's not even close to being wrapped up just yet!)**


	13. Wedding Planners

**(A/N: Now it's time to focus on Tommy and Kimi's upcoming wedding! Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 12

* * *

"We really appreciate this, you guys," Kimi said to her brother and sister-in-law. They were helping her and Tommy plan their wedding, after they were feeling a little overwhelmed.

"It's our pleasure," Chuckie assured her, and Shenzi nodded.

"Yeah, we're happy to do it!" She added. "We're so excited for you guys!"

"Thanks," Tommy nodded.

"You sure you're okay with a Japanese theme?" Kimi asked him.

"Absolutely," He assured her. "Anything for my future bride." They kissed for a second. "It's going to be awesome."

"What should we do first?" Chuckie wondered aloud.

"Umm, let's decide on who sits where," Kimi decided, "That shouldn't take too long."

"Alright," Tommy nodded, "Umm... oh! Kimi, is Chaz walking you down the aisle? Or your first father?"

"Both of them," She replied, "I couldn't choose just one of them."

"Sounds great," Chuckie nodded, "Where will your first father sit?"

"Hmm..." Kimi looked at the chart, "How about he sits with us, Tommy?"

"Sounds good to me," He nodded, "I bet he'd love to meet my family, and re-meet your current family."

"Alrighty then," She wrote it down on the chart, "Chuckie, you and Shenzi go here too. A-a-an-n-d, the DeVilles can sit here," She noted at a table close by the first one, "Along with your folks, Shen, if that's alright."

"That's fine," She nodded.

"Chuckie, our grandma can sit with us," She marked the last seat available on the first table, as he agreed.

"What about the last seats on the second table? And the ones for the third?"

"Hmm..." She thought about it, tapping the pencil eraser on her chin in concentration, "Angelica and her folks can go here," She wrote them down for the second table, "And Susie and her family will go here." She wrote them down at the third and final table.

"What about Zack and his aunt Celeste? Are they coming?"

"Yep," Kimi nodded, "They'll go with the Carmichaels." She wrote them down at the third table.

Soon, the seating arrangement was all figured out. "Alright, that's done," Tommy remarked, "What's next?"

"Shopping time!" Both girls cheered.

"Of course it is," Chuckie whispered to Tommy, and they snickered.

"What first? Your dress, or our kimono robes?" Shenzi asked Kimi.

"I'll call our friends, so we can get your robes first," Kimi decided, "I already picked my dress. You, Lil, Frankie, Susie, Angelica, and Roxy will be my bridesmaids!"

"Awesome! Santana's unable to come, huh?"

"She didn't seem interested," The bride-to-be shrugged.

"Ah," Shenzi nodded, "Well, it's her loss. This wedding is gonna be great."

"Thanks," Kimi gushed, "Let's go!"

The gang drove to a Japanese wedding store, which was several minutes away by car. Maxie, Matt, Bobby, Phil, and Dil were with them as well; They were going to be Tommy's groomsmen, with Chuckie being his best man. Susie was to be Kimi's maid of honor, since they were best friends. Kimi had apologized to Shenzi for not giving her the position, but she was perfectly fine with her choices. As the girls tried out the outfits Frankie suggested, the boys looked for robes to wear themselves. They already had appropriate shoes at home, as did the girls. Shenzi was going to wear flats instead of high heels, to give her comfort for her pregnancy.

Shenzi was in the dressing room after the rest of the future bridesmaids had their turns, and after she stripped down to her black Victoria's Secret undergarments, she made a discovery; Her stomach had distended! Not wanting to be seen in her underwear by the entire store, she hid her excitement and tied the robe belt to secure it, then opened the door. "Girls?" They turned to her. "How does it look?" The chartreuse robe was a light pink with red and yellow flowers on green stems. It reached her ankles, so the legs on her short, black, Disney ugg boots were barely visible.

"It looks great!" Kimi replied, then saw her brother a distance away. "Hey, Chuckie! Come here!"

He rushed over to the girls in a panic. "What is it? Is Shenzi okay?"

"Look at her," Kimi smirked.

When he looked at his wife, his breath was taken away from him. "Oh my God, Shen. You look so beautiful," He kissed her cheek, "This was a great outfit idea, Frankie."

"Thanks," The blonde nodded, "Have you boys picked out your groomsmen robes yet?"

"Not yet," Chuckie shook his head, "We were still looking before you called me over."

"Sorry," Kimi smiled sheepishly.

"No, it's okay! I loved seeing my beautiful wife all dressed up," He chuckled, "I'll go look with the guys again." He walked away after Shenzi walked back in the dressing room stall.

After she was back in her original clothes, the girls flocked over to the boys to help them choose what to wear for the wedding. "Oh Shenzi, I almost forgot!" Kimi turned to her sister-in-law. "I love your new glasses."

"Thanks," She smiled back. Just a week ago, after the birthday trip, she received new glasses a few days after an appointment with her optometrist. They were a Vera Wang Harlequin design, in black of course. When she first put them on her face, Chuckie thought they were perfect for her, so she chose to keep them.

The girls sat outside of the boys' dressing rooms, waiting for the guys to finish. "This must be how our boyfriends feel when we shop with them," Lil remarked, and they nodded in agreement.

"Shen?" Chuckie gained his wife's attention, so she stood up and walked to him. "What do you think?"

She smiled upon seeing him. The suit design for the guys, sans Tommy, was a black and white robe with an ombre fade on the pinstriped skirt, two ivory buttons on each side of the jacket, and a large, white puff ball on the torso above the skirt waistband. "Wow, Chuckie! You look so handsome!" She kissed his lips. "You and the guys will look great!"

"Thanks," He walked back into the dressing stall, and changed back into his casual clothes.

Soon, they arrived back at the Finster residence, where they were originally planning the ceremony. "What's next on the wedding agenda?" Lil asked everyone.

"Let's plan the schedule," Kimi took out a chart, and laid it on the kitchen table.

l-l

After a few minutes, the gang were feeling stressed out. Kimi, Tommy, Shenzi, Chuckie, and Frankie were the only ones left, because everyone else had to go home. "Ohh, I've got a headache," Shenzi groaned with her fingers rubbing her temples.

"Me too," Kimi agreed.

"Um," Chuckie stood up, "I'll go to Starbucks, and get some coffee and other drinks for everyone. You all seem to need it."

"That'd be great," Kimi smiled tiredly, and everyone nodded, "Thanks, bro."

"No problem, sis. Shen, just be safe, I don't think you should have any."

"It's okay," She assured him, "I don't drink coffee anyway."

"I'll get you a cupcake from the bakery next door," He offered.

"A big one?"

He sighed with an amused smile. "Yes," He chuckled.

"Yay," She giggled, "Can it be chocolate, with vanilla frosting, and rainbow sprinkles?"

"Anything you want, my love," He kissed her lips, then glanced around the table, "You all just want your usuals?" They all nodded. "Got it. Be right back." He headed out the door and to his car. "Here come the cravings," He muttered to himself, then started driving to Starbucks. His wife was now a couple months along, and it seemed that her cravings were kicking in. He hoped that she wouldn't eat anything she'd regret later. He parked in front of Starbucks, and entered the slightly crowded building after stopping at the bakery.

After one customer was finished ordering, he walked to the counter. "Hello, welcome to Starbucks, sir," The woman greeted him, "What can I get you?"

"Can I get a vanilla Blonde Roast, a caffe misto, and a passion tango tea, please?"

"Alright," She nodded, "You uh, up for a date?" She flirted with him.

"Uh, s-sorry, I'm married," He held his right hand up, letting his ring shine from the lights.

"Oh! I, I'm sorry!"

"No worries."

"Your wife is a lucky woman. She must be beautiful."

"Oh, she is," Chuckie nodded, "She's the prettiest girl who's ever graced the planet. She's actually pregnant right now."

"Oh, congratulations!"

"Thank you. I'm very excited for the baby to come. She's two months along, so we don't know the gender yet."

"Ah," She nodded, "Well, I hope you have a good future."

"Thanks. I'll go ahead and wait for my order. I'm Chuckie Finster."

"Okay."

He then walked away from the counter to let other people order. He looked around the cafe, where customers were eating, drinking, or browsing the Internet. He hoped that his order wouldn't take too long; He'd hate to keep his wife, sister, and future brother-in-law waiting.

l-l

At the house, the current four were resting their brains in the living room. "How're you doing, Shen?" Tommy asked the pregnant girl.

"Fine," She replied, "You guys can sit here if you want to." She was currently laying on the couch. "I can move."

"No, we're fine," Kimi assured her, "You need more comfort than us. You're carrying precious cargo, after all."

"Yeah, you stay there," Frankie added.

"Well, if you insist," She hesitantly obliged, and sighed in fatigue, with her feet propped on one arm of the couch, "Um, can someone get me a pillow, please? Any size will do."

"I'm on it," Frankie stood up, "Kimi, can I get one from your bed?"

"Sure," She nodded, "Go ahead."

"Thanks," The blonde rushed upstairs, then came back down with a pillow in both hands. "Okay Shen, head up." Her stepsister raised her head up, so Frankie set the pillow in its place. "Alright, head down."

"Phew," Shenzi sighed in relaxation as she laid her head on the sft pillow, "Thanks, sis."

"Anytime," Frankie nodded.

"Does your head still hurt?" Tommy asked her.

"A little bit," She nodded, "I hope Chuckie comes back soon. I have a real hankering for that cupcake I requested." She let out a yawn, as her eyes were almost completely closed.

"I wonder why you're getting so exhausted already," Tommy remarked, "Aren't you only a couple months along?"

"Uh huh," She nodded.

"Well Tom, she _was_ born 2 months early, just like you," Kimi pointed out, "The baby's already taking his or her's toll on her body." Shenzi nodded in confirmation.

"You were really born that early?" He was surprised at the coincidence.

"Yep," She replied, "According to my dad, I had to stay in the hospital a few weeks after I was born, in an incubator. All I needed to do was gain more weight, so I would be healthy enough to go home."

"Ah," He nodded, "My parents have said that I was in an incubator for a while too. I can't remember for how long, though; I'll have to ask them."

"My dad was afraid that I'd have to attend a special school, in case my brain hadn't finished developing," Shenzi added, "I was ¼ smaller than usual as a baby. Like, when I was 2, I was the size of a 1-¾-year-old."

"That's expected," Kimi nodded, "You're still kind of short."

"I'm not that short," Shenzi giggled.

"Chuckie's a whole head taller than you."

"So I'm a little short!" The Goth snapped, surprising everyone. "Get over it!"

"S-sorry," Kimi stammered.

"No, I-I'm sorry," Shenzi calmed down with a deep breath, "I've just been so moody lately, for the last couple weeks."

"That's very common in pregnancies," Frankie patted her forehead, "Perfectly normal."

"'Kaykay," She mumbled, and rubbed her stomach over her dress, "I wonder what's keeping Chuckie."

"Maybe Starbucks and/or the bakery is busy," Tommy shrugged.

"Most likely," She agreed.

l-l

After a few minutes, Chuckie heard his name from the woman at the counter. "Chuckie Finster?" He walked up, and paid for the 3 drinks.

"Thanks."

"I'm sorry the carrier only carries 2; We're out of the ones for 4."

"No, it's okay," He assured her, "I don't mind a little extra work." He was about to walk out the door when he heard a very familiar name, making his eyes widen in shock, as his hand suddenly squeezed the cup, making his tea spill out on the floor.

"Jack Johnson?"

* * *

 **(A/N: To those who know who Jack Johnson is, dun dun du-u-un! To those who don't know, you'll figure it out. ;) You know the disclaimer. I've never been to Starbucks, so I don't know if they have carriers for only 2 cups. I doubt they do, but creative license, y'know? Sorry that we didn't witness Shenzi and Chuckie's return from Disneyland. That's what "Lost in Love" is for, after all! To fill in the holes!)**


	14. Confrontation

**(A/N: Wow, this is a long one! Could It Be will be updated twice after this! Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 13

* * *

Shenzi stifled a yawn as Frankie, Kimi, and Tommy mingled, waiting for Chuckie to return. "What could be keeping him?" Frankie wondered aloud.

"I hope he's okay," Kimi expressed concern.

"Maybe he got caught into a conversation with a friend," Tommy guessed.

Kimi looked out the window, and saw a couple with a stroller walk by. "Hey, Tom?" She gestured to them with her head, so he saw them. "You think that'll be us someday?"

"Maybe," Tommy chuckled, "I hope so." They shared a kiss with a bit of passion in it.

"Guys," Shenzi giggled, "You're making me miss Chuckie."

"Sorry," Kimi broke the kiss with a sheepish grin, "I'm sure he'll be back soon. He can't forget about us, especially you."

l-l

 _He was about to walk out the door when he heard a very familiar name, making his eyes widen in shock, as his hand suddenly squeezed the cup, making his tea spill out on the floor._

 _"Jack Johnson?"_

Chuckie stood in place as people left, walking around him. His crushed cup fell from his hand and onto the wet spot on the floor. A scowl grew as his eyebrows furrowed in anger; He didn't notice an employee cleaning the mess he made. He couldn't believe he was in the same building as the man who caused his wife so much emotional pain. He looked back, looking more casual but still mad, and saw who just had to be him; He was wearing a dark blue biker jacket, faded slim-fit jeans, black and white checkerboard Vans, a black chain necklace, and a white beater tank top. His light purplish-grey skin, black hair, pointy ears, round black nose, and different colored eyes were a giveaway; He was clearly Shenzi's birth father. "S-sorry about the mess," He stammered to the employee cleaning just next to him, and threw out the cup for him.

He looked back again, and his blood boiled at who was technically his father-in-law going on with his life after the agony he caused to his own child. After Jack Johnson sat at a two-chair table, Chuckie walked over, his heart pounding in his chest from a bit of a nervous feeling, and sat in the other chair, arms crossed, eyebrow raised, and eyes narrowed. "Hello," Jack greeted him awkwardly, "Do I know you?"

"Well, I know _you,_ " Chuckie replied, "But more importantly, I know your daughter. Y'know, _Shenzi?_ "

"I don't have a daughter," The older man narrowed his eyes back at him.

"You do too," Chuckie shot his pointer finger at him angrily, "She's the most amazing girl I've ever met in my entire life." He leaned back in the chair. "In fact, we've been married for a few months now." He held up his right hand.

"Really?"

"Yep," The redhead nodded, "So technically, I'm your son-in-law," He smirked, "Sorry, _not_ sorry, that you couldn't walk your daughter down the aisle on her big day."

" _I_ don't _have_ a _daughter,_ " Jack leaned to his face in an intimidating manner, "We may share blood, but she's _not_ my child. My wife _divorced_ me for her!"

"She divorced you, 'cause you're a sexist jerk!" Chuckie yelled as he slammed his hands on the table, attracting attention. All his nervous feelings were gone, and had been replaced with fury. "And you know how Shenzi called you last year, so you can bond with her, because you're the only relative by birth she has left? You made her cry, because her so-called father, who shares flesh and blood with her, doesn't even love her!"

"You mind your own business, four eyes!" Jack stood on the floor, now angry.

Chuckie was now on his feet. "You don't deserve to have her as a daughter! She's too wonderful for you to share DNA with her! You didn't even deserve her mother! She was a wonderful woman from what I heard, and she deserved better! If you're going to be picky about your child's gender, then you don't deserve to be a father!"

"Shut up!" Jack stood up and pushed him to the floor, making some shocked patrons back away, then dumped his coffee on his head, thankfully not scalding him. Surprisingly, Chuckie's two drinks were untouched.

The seething redhead stood up, coffee dripping from his hair and glasses, and down his shirt, and glared as menacingly as he could at his father-in-law. He snatched the cup carrier off the table, and headed for the door after cleaning himself as much as he could with napkins and water, although it didn't do much. He then stopped, and turned back to Jack with a smug smile. "I'd better get back home to my _pregnant wife!_ " He called out boldly to him. "See you later, _Pops!_ " With that, he left as the man's jaw was dropped in shock.

He laid a towel, which happened to be still be in the car from a recent beach trip, over the seat to keep it clean, and drove back home, still furious. He just couldn't believe everything that he heard from the man. Denying the fact that he even _had_ a daughter? That was horrible! He hoped they wouldn't meet up again, especially when Shenzi and/or their child is with him. He couldn't imagine what he would do to them.

After a couple minutes, he parked at the garage to his house, and walked into the hallway, cup carrier and cupcake in hand. The sound of the door closing caught everyone's attention. "Chuckie!" Kimi ran up to help him. "What happened to you? Why is there coffee in your hair?"

"It's... a long story," He hesitated, then walked up to his wife. "Hey, Shen." He kissed her forehead.

"Hi, Chuckie," She smiled tiredly, but then furrowed her eyebrows in concern, "Why's there coffee in your hair? And on your shirt?"

"Um, I, I'll tell you upstairs, in my old bedroom," He helped her stand up after Tommy took the cup carrier. "We'll be right back, guys." After Chuckie grabbed a water bottle from the fridge for her, they walked up the stairs, Shenzi going a little slow. "Take your time, baby girl." He kissed her head as she yawned. He couldn't believe anyone, especially a relative, would hate this sweet, adorable girl just because of her gender. It was sickening, and horrible beyond reason. Once they arrived at his old room, which was just as how it was before he moved out, he set her on the bed, so she was leaning comfortably on the wall. "There you go." He sat closely next to her.

"What happened at Starbucks?" She asked him, then took a bite out of the cupcake, which was just how she wanted it.

"Well..." He hesitated, "I... I was just about to leave, when... I heard someone at the counter call for... Jack Johnson."

She nearly choked on her cupcake bite, alarming him. "My birth father?!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah," He nodded after recovering from the little scare.

"What'd you do? Did you talk to him?"

"Yeah," He replied again, "I confronted him for the way he treated you before."

"What did he say?"

"He didn't care about how much he hurt you," He stroked her hair, "I don't want to go into details."

"Thanks," She nodded, "Go on."

"At first, there was just talking... then there was yelling," Chuckie continued, "Then I was on the floor, with coffee on my head."

"He pushed you on the floor?!" She exclaimed in shock. "And poured coffee on your head?!"

"Yep," He nodded, "But I'm alright, really. Don't worry about me; I'm not the one who is fragile and carrying precious cargo."

"Is he still there?"

"As far as I know, yes, but Shen, please don't go over there." He was alarmed when she stood on the floor with a glare, and walked out the door, leaving her cupcake and water bottle on his nightstand. "Shenzi, no! Don't confront him! He'll hurt you! And the baby!" She ignored him as she walked down the stairs, and out the door. "Shenzi!" He followed her out, and finally stopped her by laying his hands on her shoulders from his standing place in front of her. "Shen, please don't do this. You know what he did to me; I can't imagine what he'd do to you."

"I'm sorry, Chuckie," She pushed his hands off her shoulders, still determined, "No one hurts my husband, and gets away with it. I know what I'm doing." She headed for the driver's side door of her car, but he stopped her again.

"Wait!" He tried to think of an excuse. "Uh, I-I-I um, you don't know where his table's at!"

"Chuckie," She put her hands on her hips, "That Starbucks is small. It won't take long to find him." She then sat in her car, started the engine, and drove off.

"Shenzi, no! No!" He tried to stop her again, but his efforts were in vain. She was out of his sight in mere seconds. "Oh God," His breath shuddered, before he walked into the house.

"Chuckie, what's going on?" Kimi asked him in concern.

"Let's go in the living room, where I can tell all of you," He walked in, and sat on the couch. Kimi and Tommy were next to him, while Frankie sat on the floor. "Okay, so I'll start off with what happened with me at Starbucks." They all nodded. "Well um, I was about to leave when I heard an employee call for Jack Johnson."

"Who's he?" Tommy asked him.

"He's... Shenzi's birth father."

Frankie's eyes widened in shock and anger. "He's the one who made my baby sister cry before our prom?!"

"Yep," He nodded.

"What happened then?" Kimi asked her brother.

"After he was seated, I went and talked to him," Chuckie began to explain, "I told him how he hurt Shenzi by rejecting her before prom night."

"What did he do?" Tommy asked him.

"He didn't care," Chuckie shook his head, "He was indifferent to her pain. He even denied having a daughter."

"That jerk!" Frankie exclaimed angrily.

"After that, we started yelling, before he pushed me on the floor, and emptied his coffee cup on my head."

"He coffeed your head?!" Kimi stood up furiously. "I'll kill him!"

"No, it's okay," He calmed her down, "I'm not hurt. It wasn't too hot, nor did it have ice. Um, a-anyway, after I told Shenzi everything, she headed to Starbucks to confront him," He ran his hands up his forehead and in his damp hair. "I can't imagine what he could be doing to her."

l-l

At Starbucks, Shenzi parked her car and entered the building, trying to keep her cool. She looked around the building, hoping the man she seeked was still there, then walked up to the counter after a customer was finished ordering. "Hello, welcome to Starbucks," A man working at the counter walked up to her, "How can I help you, miss?"

"Is there a Jack Johnson here?" She asked him.

"Yes there is," He nodded, "He's in the back."

"Thank you," She nodded.

"Can I get you a drink?"

"Oh, no thanks," She shook her head, "This shouldn't take long." She walked up Jack without him seeing her, and set her hands on the table, getting his attention. "Hello, _Daddy,_ " She sneered, "Remember me?"

"Not really," He raised an eyebrow at her.

l-l

"Well, I can't just sit here thinking," Chuckie stood up, "I've gotta get over there before he could hurt my wife, and possibly my baby."

"I'm going too," Frankie stood up with him, "Nobody hurts my baby sister and/or my future niece or nephew Scott free. Let's go."

"We'll be right back," Chuckie said to Kimi and Tommy, then headed out with his sister-in-law.

"Good luck, guys," Tommy wished them luck.

"Give him a punch from me," Kimi requested, "For pushing my big brother to the floor, and dumping coffee on his head."

"Will do," Frankie nodded, then followed Chuckie to his car. "Ugh, I hope Shenzi's not doing anything stupid right now."

"I just hope _he's_ not doing anything stupid," Chuckie added, "If he lays a finger on my wife when she doesn't want it, he's gonna get it." He started driving to the coffee cafe in the town nearby.

"If he so much as touches my baby sister and/or your baby, I'm going to kick him in his netheryayas," Frankie growled. Chuckie couldn't help but squirm at her threat, but focused on the road ahead. He only hoped that they come in time, before anything bad would happen.

l-l

"You don't remember me?" Shenzi's eyes narrowed. "So, you don't recall this?: "Hello? I'm Shenzi, your daughter. I was hoping we could get to know each other, considering we're related by blood." Last year?"

"Ohh," He nodded, and looked surprised, "You're her?"

"Yes," She nodded, "I'm your daughter." She sat in the chair across from him.

"Uh..." He didn't know what to say, "How's life, babygirl?"

"Oh, pbth!" She scoffed. "Don't try the nice act with me! You rejected me, simply because I'm female! You have a lot of nerve!"

"Hey, you listen here, young lady..."

"I will not!" She boldly refused. "You're not my guardian! For my whole life, I've had a father who actually loves me! He's done everything you haven't! You will _never_ be my father!" She let out a yelp when he suddenly back-slapped her face, shocking other patrons, but she caught herself before her stomach could hit the floor.

"I never wanted you! You're a disgrace to your family, you little witch!" She looked up at him, seething with anger but trying to bite back tears. "I hope your baby perishes!"

"Shenzi!" Chuckie barged in, along with Frankie. "Oh God, no!" He rushed up to her aid. "Are you okay, Shen?"

"Yeah," She nodded, feeling out of breath, "My stomach didn't touch the floor."

"You're the one?" Frankie glared menacingly. "You'll pay for hurting my baby sister! And for trying to hurt my future niece or nephew!"

"Si-sister?" Jack stuttered in shock.

"Yes, sister!" Frankie slammed her hands on the table. "My mother married her father, her _loving_ father I might add, 17 years back! And you're not laying a finger on her while me, Chuckie, and our friends are around! Because we'll kick your butt if you even come near her!"

"G-guys," Shenzi spoke up, "Why don't we just get out of here, and not get into any trouble, please?"

"Alright," Chuckie confided, and helped her stand up, "Come on, Frankie."

"Okay," She nodded, then turned to Jack, who looks indifferent to everything. "If I run into you again, well, let's just say you'd better hope you'll be smart enough to wear a protection cup." She then walked out of the building with her sister and brother-in-law. "Shen, I'll drive your car back to the Finsters'."

"I can drive," Shenzi tried to protest, but Chuckie wouldn't have it.

"No," He shook his head, guiding her to the passenger side door of his car, lifting her on the seat, and buckling her in, "I'm driving you back. Shen, I told you not to come here!"

"You're not my father!" She snapped, surprising him.

"I.. I just want to keep you safe," He whispered emotionally after shutting her door, and sitting in the driver's seat.

She let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I couldn't just sit back and let him get away with hurting you like he did."

"I'd let him hospitalize me before I'd let him even touch you," He said after he started driving.

"Ditto," She mumbled, "I know I shouldn't have gone here."

"It's okay, I'm not mad at you," He assured her, "I'm not happy, but I'm not mad."

They arrived at the Finster residence after a couple minutes. Shenzi stayed quiet with guilt as she walked up the stairs, and in Chuckie's old room. "How'd it go?" Kimi cautiously asked her brother and older sister-in-law after they walked in.

"I'll tell you guys," Frankie replied, and turned to Chuckie, "You check on Shenzi."

"'Kay," He nodded, and walked into his old room. "Shen?" She was sitting on his bed, her right cheek in her hand as she looked guilty. "Baby, I'm not mad at you." He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," She mumbled, "I was just really angry at him for hurting you."

"It's okay," He stroked her hair, "What all did he do to you?"

"Well..." She hesitated, "Firstly, I reminded him of who he was, because he didn't remember me from last year." Chuckie scoffed at that, and she nodded at that. "He tried to act nice to me, but I didn't fall for it. We started yelling, and then he slapped me with the back of his hand."

"He what?!" Chuckie exclaimed in horror. "Let me see it." She brushed her long bangs back, revealing a big, reddening spot on her cheek. "It might bruise, but it's not too serious." He gently kissed the spot, making her wince from the slight pain. "What else happened?"

"After I was on the floor, he-he said he never wanted me," She started choking up, "And that... I, I'm a disgrace to my family, and that he... he hopes our baby dies!" She sobbed in his chest.

"If I ever see him, he's going to regret saying those horrible things to you," He vowed as he hugged her tightly, "You're not a disgrace, and our baby is going to be just fine."

"You promise?" She hiccuped.

"Cross my heart," He rubbed her back and kissed her hair, "He won't lay a finger on you or our child with the intention of causing harm. I won't let him." He rested his head against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too," She mumbled in his chest, but was heard and understood. Now that she was quiet, her cries having come to and end, she hugged him tightly. "Sorry I've been so moody."

"No need to apologize," He shook his head, "Moodiness is perfectly normal for pregnancies." He then spotted her cupcake and water on his nightstand, where she had left them. "Don't forget about your cupcake."

"Oh yeah!" She suddenly perked up, and started eating it again. "Thanks!" He smirked at her sudden change in mood. One second, she was depressed and crying, but when he brought up her treat, she was happy again. He stifled laughter when she had white frosting with sprinkles on her upper lip and below her nose, like a mustache. After swallowing, she looked up and saw Chuckie trying not to smile. "What?" She giggled.

"You eat like a boy," He chuckled, "You've got a frosting mustache going on there," He gestured to his upper lip.

"Oh," She blushed, then licked it up, "Did I get it all?"

"Most of it," He nodded, "Here, I'll get the rest." He leaned in, and kissed her where the little bits of frosting and sprinkles were at. He chuckled at her cute, deep blush on her cheeks. "I got it."

"O-okay," She stammered, "Thanks." She drank from her water bottle, then let out a yawn. "Man, I'm tired."

"Want to head back to your place?" He asked her.

"Mm hmm," She nodded.

"Come on, let's go." They walked downstairs, Chuckie threw out her cupcake liner in the kitchen trash can, after she grabbed her bottle. "Hey uh, guys?" The trio looked up at him. "Shenzi's pretty tired, so we're going to head back to her place."

"Alright," Frankie nodded, "I'll stay here, and help Tommy and Kimi with the wedding plans. I can drive Shenzi's car home; She drove me here. Can you tell Mom and Dad?"

"Sure," He replied, and headed out to his car with his one and only. "Here." He lifted her up, and set her in the passenger seat. Surprisingly, he didn't notice something a little... different about his wife's abdomen.

"Thanks," She buckled herself in, as he sat next to her, in the driver's seat.

"You sure you're okay?" He asked her after he started driving.

"I'm fine," She assured him, "My stomach didn't hit the floor when Da... _Jack_ hit me. And my cheek doesn't hurt anymore."

"Good," He nodded, ignoring how she almost said "Dad", "I don't know what I'd do if it had gone worse."

"Same here," She agreed, "I want our baby to live a long, happy life."

"As do I." They arrived at her house after a couple seconds, so he lifted her out of the car. They walked into the living room, where Felicia and Friar Tuck were relaxing on the couch.

"Hey, Dad! Hi, Mom!" Shenzi greeted them.

"Hey, sweetie! Hi, Chuckie!" Felicia straightened up. "How is Tommy and Kimi's wedding coming along?"

"It's going great," Chuckie replied, "We got our robes, and planned out the seatings."

"How come you're using robes?" Friar Tuck asked them in curiosity.

"'Cause the wedding has a Japanese theme," Shenzi replied, "Kimi's going to have an actual dress, though."

"Ah. Where's Frankie at?" Felicia asked them.

"She's still at my place, helping Tommy and Kimi," Chuckie replied, "She'll be back before dinner, with Shen's car."

"Oh, okay," Felicia nodded. She smiled when her youngest daughter stifled a yawn. "You two lovebirds better head up to your nest. Mama seems to need a nap."

"I do," Shenzi giggled tiredly, "I'll try to be up before dinner." She headed upstairs, going more slowly, and turned to Chuckie when he lingered. "You coming?"

"I'll catch up," He replied.

"'Kaykay," She nodded, and walked into her bedroom.

Once she was out of hearing range, Chuckie turned to his in-laws. "Um, something happened today. Something... bad."

"What happened?" Felicia asked him, now concerned.

"Well, everyone was feeling stressed out from planning the wedding, so I went to Starbucks to get drinks for everyone. And just before I left, I-I heard... Jack Johnson being called to the counter."

Friar Tuck's eyes widened at that. "Jack Johnson?! Shenzi's first father?!"

"Yep," The redhead nodded, "After he was seated, I went to talk to him. He was indifferent to the pain he caused Shenzi last year. Then we started yelling, and... he pushed me to the floor, and poured coffee on my head."

"Oh my God!" Felicia exclaimed, and checked on him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright," He nodded, "I just need a shower."

"You're more than welcome to use ours."

"Thanks. And... uh Friar Tuck, you won't like this, but... after I told Shenzi everything..." He hesitated, "She uh, sh-she went to confront him."

"What?!" His loving father-in-law stood up. "Is she okay?!"

"Well... she told me that she talked to him, and they started yelling. Then... he back-slapped her." Felicia gasped in shock with her fingers at her mouth, as her husband looked furious at the idea alone. "She fell on the floor, but the baby's fine. Shen is too. She just has a red spot on her face, on the left side."

"If I ever see him, I'm going to kill him," Friar Tuck growled to himself.

"Me too," Felicia agreed, "I'll kick him where no man ever wants to be kicked."

' _Like mother like daughter,_ ' Chuckie thought to himself, "Um, I'm going to take a shower real quick."

"Alright," Felicia nodded, trying to let go of her anger, "Have a good one."

"Thanks, I will." He headed upstairs, and put a towel and washcloth in the bathroom. When he went into his new bedroom to grab some clothes, his gaze locked on Shenzi. She seemed to still be in her day clothes, although her boots were on the floor, and her bra was in the hamper. He walked up to her, and brushed her long bangs from her face, so the spot where she took the hit was in view. He could just barely see a bruise forming, making his blood boil. He couldn't believe Jack had the nerve to intentionally bruise his own pregnant daughter. He gently kissed the light bruise, making her moan with fatigue. After stroking her hair soothingly, he grabbed some pajamas, and headed for the bathroom, gingerly closing the bedroom door behind him.

"Chuckie?" Felicia's hushed voice made him jump in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"

"It's alright," He assured her, "What's up?"

"How's she doing?"

"She's asleep right now," He glanced at the door, "It looks like Jack bruised her."

"Oh my God," She breathed in horror, "I'll kill him."

"I'm with you," He agreed, "Well, I'd better shower before this coffee settles in. Can you have my shirt washed afterwards?"

"It won't be a problem," She nodded, "Just come to me after you're out with your shirt."

"Alright, thanks." He walked into the bathroom, and shut the door. As he scrubbed his long hair with Shenzi's green apple shampoo, itching to get the coffee out, his blood boiled when Jack's face appeared under his closed eyelids. The image of him slapping his defenseless wife, not to mention his own child, made a small growl escape from his throat. If he should ever see him again, he would not hold back; Jack Johnson was going to regret laying a hand on Shenzi Tuck-Finster with the intention of hurting her. After he was finished, he dried off, and changed into a pair of blue vertically striped pajama pants, light grey sherpa-lined slippers with red brims at the soles, and a black t-shirt with 3 penguins wearing different colored sunglasses on the front. He walked to Felicia in the living room with his soiled shirt in hand. "Here's my shirt."

"Thank you," She took it from him, "I'll get this clean in a jiff. It'll be good as new."

"Thanks," He nodded, "I'll be upstairs if you need me."

"Alright."

He walked up the stairs, and in his wife's bedroom, where surprisingly, she was awake. For some reason, she was facing away from the door. "Hey Shen, I was just, whoa!" She turned around, revealing that she was now wearing black tuxedo boyshorts, her ugg boots, and a black babydoll top with rhinestones on the cups, sheer fabric draping down to her thighs, and an opening at the back and sides. Over everything was a pink Hello Kitty robe with black hearts. "Uh..." He forgot what he was going to say, blood rushing to his cheeks.

"Hey there, handsome," She giggled, taking her robe off, "Notice anything... different?"

"Wha-what?"

"Come here," She sat on her bed. Unable to speak, he sat next to her. She gently took his hand, laid on her back, and slipped his hand under the sheer fabric.

"Uh," Chuckie almost croaked out, but when he felt the difference, his speech came back, "You-you're showing?"

"Yep," She nodded, and sat up, "I noticed it earlier today, when we were… robe shopping. I just didn't want to say anything in public, especially from a dressing room." He nodded. "And after everything with my birth father, I guess I forgot until after I changed."

"Ah," He understood, "Well, that's wonderful." He rubbed her distended stomach, making her blush. "Um," He hesitated to change the subject, "Didn't I get you that for Christmas last year?"

"Yep," She nodded, "You said you felt awkward in the store when you got it," She giggled.

"Ohh, right." He heard familiar footsteps up the stairs. "Shen, you might want to put your robe back on. Your father's coming up. Your _loving_ father."

"O-oh." She hastily put the cozy robe on and tied the belt around her waist, just as Friar Tuck walked in the room. "Um, h-hi Daddy."

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," She nodded, and sat on the bed.

"I'll leave you guys alone," Chuckie went to walk out of the room, but was stopped.

"No, you can stay," His loving father-in-law insisted, "I think you should hear this too."

Chuckie had a feeling he knew what they were going to talk about. "O-okay then." He sat on her desk chair.

"Okay, um," Friar Tuck tried to think of a way to begin the talk, "Chuckie told me what happened with you and your... first father."

"He did?" She stood up, and walked to Chuckie.

"Shen, I know it may have not been the right thing to do, but like me, he just wants to protect you." He defended his actions, with his hands on her shoulders.

"O-okay," She nodded, "I'm sorry." She sat back on her bed with her father. The father who took care of her, and loved her for her whole life. "Um, g-go on."

"I understand that you wanted to defend your husband, and I respect that. I'd do the same for you, Frankie, and your mothers. But he could've done much worse than what Chuckie told me."

"But... we-we were in Starbucks, where anyone could've seen us," She meekly pointed out.

"That wouldn't have stopped him. If he was arrested for assault, it wouldn't heal any pain or trauma for you. I can't lose you, or my future grandchild, sweetheart." She guiltily averted her gaze.

"Shen, I do appreciate you doing all that for me," Chuckie sat next to her, "But I don't need you fighting my battles for me. You're too fragile for that, whether you're pregnant or not. I can't lose you either, or our baby. So, the next time someone hurts me, I'll handle it, okay? Please don't put yourself in danger for me."

She stayed quiet with hesitation and guilt. "O-okay," She stammered, and looked back and forth between her husband and father. "I'm sorry. I just wasn't thinking straight. I promise I'll stay out of a physical fight next time."

"Good," Chuckie nodded, and kissed her temple.

"We just don't you or the baby hurt," Friar Tuck laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, "But all is forgiven."

"Good," She nodded, then decided to change the subject. "Oh, Dad? I uh, I started... showing today." She laid a hand on her stomach.

"Really?" He smiled. "That's great!"

"See?" She moved her robe out of the way, and ran a hand down her distended stomach.

"Ohh, I see now." He was surprised at seeing her babydoll top. He didn't remember her owning it before now. "Uh, where'd you get that?"

"Oh, this?" She held up the sheer fabric a bit. "I got it for Christmas from Chuckie last year."

"O-oh, right. Well, I'll leave you two alone to rest, now that everything's been settled. We'll yell when dinner's ready." He kissed Shenzi's forehead, then left the room, closing the door behind him.

Shenzi stripped out of her robe, and smiled at her flustered husband. "Um," He tried to speak, "Th-that a new robe?"

"Yep," She replied, "I bought it from zulily; After learning I was pregnant, I made an account."

"Ah," He nodded, "It sure is soft."

"Yeah," She agreed, then stifled a yawn. "I'm tired."

"Me too," Chuckie nodded, "Let's get a little bit of sleep before we eat."

"'Kaykay," Shenzi laid back on the bed, as he laid next to her, and pulled the warm, cozy covers up to her shoulders. After shifting to lay on her back, and taking off her glasses to put them on her cupcake table, she was out with her hands on her stomach. Chuckie kissed her head by her eye, and ran his thumb on her forehead. He sighed in relaxation, and fell asleep with his nose in her hair, and his left hand over hers.

Frankie came back home after a while, and they all had a nice dinner together. She was happy for her sister upon hearing that her stomach was swelling. As they ate, Chuckie vowed to protect his wife from anything and everything, no matter the cost.

* * *

 **(A/N: Phew! Long chapter! You know the disclaimer. I guess this chapter was a bit more intimate, huh?)**


	15. Wedding Day

**(A/N: Tommy and Kimi's big day is here! Enjoy their wedding, and the aftermath! Also, happy 26th anniversary, Rugrats!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 14

* * *

Chuckie looked in the dressing room as he fixed his robe. He also wore black lace-up dress shoes. He couldn't believe that his baby sister and his best friend were getting married! "Phew," He puffed nervously, then turned to Tommy. "How's it look?"

"Perfect," He nodded. Tommy was in a white kimono robe with a black cardigan-like layer, and a black puff ball above the skirt waistband. He also had black tuxedo shoes, and had a black Japanese hand fan ready. "What about me?"

"Like a million bucks," Chuckie gave him a thumbs up, "Although it's a little crooked. Here, I got it." He straightened up the black layer on his robe, then stepped back. "'Kay, now you're perfect." He let out a deep sigh. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Me neither," Tommy agreed, "This is the greatest day of my life."

"Good," Chuckie nodded, "Um, if you don't need me at the moment, I'm going to check on the girls."

"Alright," Tommy nodded.

Chuckie walked out of the mens dressing room, and to the womens, and knocked on the door. "Hello?"

"Chuckie?" He heard Shenzi's voice.

"It's me, baby girl. Can I come in?"

"Kimi, is it okay if Chuckie comes in here?"

"Sure, he can. As long as Tommy's not with him."

"Chuckie? You can come in, if Tommy's not with you." She cautiously opened the door, feeling relief when she didn't see the groom with him. She closed the door after he walked into the room. She and the other bridesmaids were already dressed up, along with small silver hoop earrings and large, light pink satin bows on the backs of their heads. Only she however, wore light pink satin ballet flats, while the other girls wore pumps, a matching hair extension, and her wedding ring. "Hey," She giggled.

"Hey you," He pecked her lips, so his didn't have any makeup, "You look so beautiful."

"Aww, thanks. And you look very handsome." They kissed again.

"Okay lovebirds," Frankie giggled at them, "Keep the PDAs to a minimum, okay? This is Tommy and Kimi's big day. You guys already had yours 3 months ago."

"Sorry," Shenzi grinned sheepishly.

"But seriously, Shen," Chuckie caressed his wife's dark hair, "You're glowing."

"For now," She mumbled, "But soon, I'm gonna get fat and ugly!" She started crying in her hands.

"No you're not!" Chuckie took her in his arms. Luckily, she didn't stain his robe with her makeup and tears. "You're going to be just as beautiful as you always have been! Um, I don't want to sound selfish, but can you please try to keep it together, for today? Do it for Tommy, Kimi, and... and me."

She wiped her eyes, getting eyeshadow and eyeliner on the back of her hand. She had the black makeup running down her cheeks, and on her palms and fingers. "I'll try my best." She turned to the dressing stall. "I'm sorry, Kimi."

"Don't be sorry! I understand!" Kimi assured her, as Lil helped with her dress in the stall. "Mom says moodiness is normal for pregnancies, first or otherwise!"

"Here, let's clean your hands, and fix your makeup." Chuckie walked her to the restroom after grabbing her makeup remover wipes. He managed to fix her eye shadow and liner, both of which were black. Her lipstick was a dark pink, complimenting her beautiful skin. "There you go. Perfect." He kissed her cheek, and she sniffled. "Come on, Shen. Can you smile for me? No one's mad at you." He could see that she was trying through recovering from her cries, but she finally let a timid smile grow. "There it is," He stroked her hair, and went to kiss her lips, but stopped himself. "Oh, I probably shouldn't." She stifled giggles at him.

"Not unless you want to wear lipstick." She agreed with him. "Come on, let's go back out there. Kimi should be done any minute now."

"Right," He nodded, and led her back to the womens dressing room, their hands intertwined.

" _ **I see your true colors shining through,**_ " She started singing under her breath, making his smile grow, " _ **I see your true colors, and that's why I love you.**_ "

"What song is that?" Chuckie asked her.

"It's "True Colors" by Marina and the Diamonds," Shenzi replied, "I think I played it for you before."

"Oh, oh yeah," He nodded, "I remember it now." He started humming the tune, making her smile.

"It's a beautiful song, isn't it?" She remarked.

"It is," He agreed, "Just like you." He kissed her temple, then stopped at the doorway to the dressing room. "After you, m'lady." She giggled with her cheeks blushing, and walked into the room, with him following. "Okay girls, we're ba..." He stopped when he saw Kimi. She was in a light pink, strapless poufy gown with black kimono accents, a white rhinestone-lined veil, light pink diamond earrings, a light pink thin satin headband, sparkly light pink and black bow pumps under her dress, and had a matching bouquet of flowers in one hand, a Japanese hand fan in the other, and had her hair in a traditional, Japanese wedding updo. "Oh my God," He walked up to her, "Kimi, you look so beautiful!"

"Thanks!" She hugged him. "I can't wait to get out there! It'll be the best wedding ever!"

Frankie noticed that Shenzi looked uncomfortable at that, so she dashed over, and rubbed her upper arms over her robe. "Stay calm, stay calm, sis, stay calm," She whispered soothingly.

"I'm fine," She whispered back assuredly.

"Okay, I'll get back to the guys," Chuckie gave Kimi one last hug, and kissed Shenzi's forehead, "I'll see you ladies out there." He walked out the door, and ended back for the mens dressing room. Behind him, the bridesmaids went to take their places, with Chaz and Hiro Watanabe waiting to walk Kimi down the aisle. "Sorry I took a while, guys."

"It's okay," Tommy assured him, "The guys are already out there at the altar."

"Oh, jeez! I took longer than I thought! I'm sorry! Shenzi just started crying about...!" Chuckie panicked.

"Stay calm, Chuck," Tommy gently grabbed his upper arms, "You're fine. Just head on out there."

"O-okay," Chuckie nodded, and walked out to the altar, where he stood next to Susie, the maid of honor. No offense to her, but he wished he was closer to his wife, but this was his sister's wedding, not his, so he kept it to himself. He leaned forward and smiled when Shenzi was in his sights, and she smiled back.

"Congrats on your baby, Shenzi," Susie whispered to her, "Kimi told me the big news."

"Thanks, Sus," She whispered back.

"Chuckie, you want to switch?" Susie asked him quietly.

"No thanks, I'm good," He kindly declined in a hushed tone, "This is only for until the reception. Shen and I are comfortable, right?" He turned to his wife, and she nodded.

Secretly, though, she felt a little uneasy, but had promised to keep her emotions under control for the day, so she hid her feeling. Why was she uncomfortable? Was she... jealous? She had no reason to be jealous! She and Chuckie are married! He would never go for another girl! Especially not a friend! She shook her head to drive the envy away. "You okay, sis?" Frankie asked her quietly.

"Yeah, I'm alright," She nodded, "I'm just a little tired. I'm trying to stay awake."

"Ohh. Well, you'll be fine."

"Thanks."

"No prob."

Soon, Tommy walked down the aisle, holding the hand fan over his face, under his eyes, and to the altar. "You look great," Chuckie whispered to him with a thumbs up.

"Thanks, C-Man," Tommy whispered back with a thumbs up in return.

"Take good care of my baby sister."

"You have my word."

A couple seconds later, the music started playing; It was the chorus in "Love of a Lifetime" by Firehouse. Chaz and Hiro started walking Kimi down the aisle, as Tommy's jaw almost dropped at the sight of his beautiful bride. Chuckie secretly smirked at his best friend's awestruck expression.

"Dearly beloved," The preacher began, "We are gathered here today, in holy matrimony, to witness the blessed union of Thomas Pickles, and Kimiko Finster. If anyone objects to this marriage, speak now, or forever hold your peace." After a pause, along with a death glare from Chuckie to the audience, he continued. "Very well. Now, I believe you have prepared your vows?" They both nodded.

Tommy turned to Kimi. "Kimi, I... when we met in Paris as babies, I-I had no idea we'd end up where we are now. But... this is perfect. I'll love you for all my life, no matter what." He finished.

"Tommy... I agree about the Paris part. I didn't think we'd end up here either, even though we've been best friends for almost 2 decades. But I wouldn't want it any other way. I'll love and cherish you forever."

"Do you have the rings?"

"Right here, sir." Dil came up to the couple with a black bow knot pillow, which carried two origami swans with the rings on their necks, Kimi's swan pink and Tommy's blue. After they carefully took the rings, Dil stood with the groomsmen.

"Very good. Do you, Thomas Pickles, take Kimiko Finster to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Tommy smiled at his blushing bride, slipping the diamond heart ring on her finger.

"Do you, Kimiko Finster, take Thomas Pickles, to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," She smiled back up at him with love in her tear-filled eyes, putting the simple silver ring on his finger.

"Then by the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." The couple practically jumped each other to do so, as the audience, groomsmen, and bridesmaids cheered for them and cried tears of joy. Phil got quite emotional, more so than most of the girls.

At the outdoor reception, after Kimi and Tommy gave speeches of thanks to their loved ones for attending, they started eating. The white cake had Japanese cherry blossoms on brown stems associated with a Pagoda design. The round tables had white tableclothes and orchid flowers on x-like structures. The chairs were brown with pink cushions for comfort. The guests, groomsmen, and bridesmaids sat as planned, with Shenzi sidling up to Chuckie.

"I'm so happy for Tommy and Kimi," She said to him over a slice of the themed cake.

"Me too," He agreed with her, "I trust my best friend with my little sister 100%. I know they'll take care of each other." He paused for a moment. "But if Tommy knocks her up, I'm gonna kill him."

Shenzi stifled giggles at that. "Aww, come on. Don't you want to be Uncle Chuckie?"

"Well... yes," He admitted.

"Chuck, you can't shelter her anymore. She's grown up, now married, and will know when she's ready to be a mother. And Tommy will respect her decisions, I just know it."

He sighed, then nodded. "You're right. I... I just can't believe my baby sister is already married. It seems like only yesterday, she... became my sister."

"I feel the same way about Frankie," She agreed, then finished her cake piece, "Can you get me another slice, please?"

"That'd be your 4th slice," He remarked, "You don't want to have too much."

"Are you saying I'm fat?!" She snapped angrily, gaining attention.

"N-no, of course not! I'll get you that cake, Shen. Back in a jiff." He kissed her cheek, then headed for the refreshments table.

When he left, she moved her hands, which were clenched into fists, up her forehead to her hair. "Stupid mood swings," She muttered to herself.

He came back to the table with a slice of cake on a clean plate with a fork. "Here's your cake." He was concerned when he saw her distressed, and hiding her face. "What's the matter, honey? You okay?"

"I'm sorry I snapped at you," She mumbled, but was heard, not budging otherwise, "It's these dumb mood swings. They're beyond my control."

"It's okay, I'm not mad at you," He rubbed her shoulder over her robe, "I know it's not your fault. Just remember this: In 6 months, it'll all be worth it once our baby comes. Okay?"

She slowly lowered her hands down, so he could see her face. "O-okay," She stuttered with a sniffle, "It's just so hard."

"I understand," He ran his fingers through her hair, "If it was me who was pregnant, I'd go crazy! You're doing just fine. I'm proud of you." She let a small smile grow. "There's that smile," He kissed her temple, "Let's eat." They ate their slices of cake together, and sipped their drinks. Chuckie, like everyone else, had a Lemongrass Ginger Martini, while Shenzi simply had lemonade, because she couldn't have alcoholic drinks. "Whoa!" He shook his head, gaining her attention. "That's some strong vodka. Phil must've added extra." Phil had made all the food and drinks for the ceremony with his culinary skills, but added too much vodka in the martinis by mistake.

She stifled giggles at him after swallowing some cake. "You're not going to get wasted, are you?"

"Nah," He replied, "I'll be fine." He took a big gulp, then let out a drunken hiccup, making some guests look at him. Especially his family, and the main couple. Zack Wehrenberg stifled laughter at him.

"Oh boy," Kimi muttered under her breath, then walked over to her giggling brother and took his goblet away, although it was very close to being empty. "That's enough martini for you, Drinkie Finster. Here, have some lemonade instead." She gave him a goblet of lemonade, as Shenzi shielded her face to hide her wide smile.

"You're so stupid," She whispered with a giggle, "You're a stupid idiot."

"Yeah, but I'm your idiot, pumpkin bear," He kissed her cheek with a "mwah" added.

"Oh God," She stifled laughter at the terrible nickname.

"I'm gonna kill him," Kimi muttered, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"It's fine, Kimi," Tommy assured her, "He's just having a little fun." He turned to Phil, who sat across from him with Lil. "What happened to the martinis, Phil?"

"I dunno," He shrugged, "I guess I added a little too much vodka by accident. Sorry."

"Figures," Kimi rolled her eyes.

"At least he's not acting goofy on purpose," Lil pointed out.

"True," The bride shrugged.

"Besides, you've gotta admit, he's being pretty darn funny!" Phil snickered.

Kimi looked over, and saw Chuckie snuggling his face in Shenzi's hair by her neck, as they both laughed. "Chuckie!" She tried to push him off, giggling hysterically. "Stop it! That tickles! There are people here!" She hunched her shoulders up, with her eyes squeezed shut.

His sister let some giggles out. "Yeah, he is being funny."

Thankfully, the rest of the reception went smoothly. Chuckie basically became the entertainer of the party because of his silly behavior, even though the martinis were kept out of his reach. During the dances, Shenzi kept her slightly drunken husband in check, and drove him back to her place after the ceremony came to an end.

On the way home, Chuckie started groaning with his hands on his forehead, and his elbows on his knees. "You okay there?" She asked him in concern.

"Yeah," He replied, "I just have a monster headache."

"Ah," She nodded, "Hangover."

"I suppose. What happened at the reception?"

"I'll tell you when we're home."

"'Kay."

l-l

"Oh my God," He stifled laughter, "I did all that?"

"Yep," She nodded with a giggle, "You gave me a stupid nickname, and tried to tickle my neck with your nose."

"Oh jeez," He chuckled, "What was the nickname?"

"P-Pumpkin Bear," She stammered through laughter.

"Oh my God!" They cracked up laughing, falling back on their bed. "Be, be careful there, Shen!" He had forgotten about his headache, which had gone away shortly after he threw up for a couple minutes in the bathroom. She had changed out of her wedding clothes, and into a more casual outfit at the time, knowing he was merely hung over, not sick, and removed her makeup. He did as well after his time in the bathroom, so he now wore dark denim slim straight jeans with faux fade, a black cupcake ninjas vs teeth t-shirt, his wedding ring, and blue vans with white laces. She was in a black cap sleeve maternity dress with a sash above her growing stomach and mild sequins, black moto Ugg boots, silver crystal bubble cluster stud earrings, and her wedding ring.

"You still doing okay?" She asked him after their laughing fit diminished.

"Yeah," He nodded, "I, I'm good."

That night, after brushing their teeth, the couple went to change into their pajamas, when Shenzi realized something. "Uh oh."

"What's wrong, babe?" Chuckie asked him.

"I don't have any maternity pjs," She replied.

"Then it's a good thing I got you something," He took out a large box from under the bed, and set it over the covers.

"Ooh, you got me a present?" She sat on the bed, now interested. At this point, her Ugg boots were replaced by Maleficent slippers. "I thought this was Tommy and Kimi's day."

"Well, I had forgotten about this until tonight," He shrugged, "Go ahead and open it."

She took off the lid and the tissue paper, to find a black sleep tracksuit with sweatpants and a hoodie with pink strings, a black camisole with a lace-trimmed neckline, and a black robe with white pipelines, all in a maternity style. "Oh, Chuckie!" She hugged him tightly. "Thanks so much! These are so cool!" She took the pieces out, one by one, and admired each of them. "I love velvet." She felt the pants and hoodie.

"Okay, let's change." They stripped out of their casual clothes, and changed into their pajamas together. Shenzi put on her new ones after cutting off the tags, while Chuckie had only white socks with golden toes, and blue striped pajama pants.

"Ooh," She purred upon seeing him, with blushing cheeks.

"They look great," He complimented her, "I had a feeling I ordered the right size."

"They're perfect," She glanced down at herself, "Thanks."

"My pleasure," He pecked her cheek, "I want my lovely wife to have pretty things."

"I sure do," She leaned on his bare chest with a seductive grin, and laid her forehead on his after he bent down a little.

"So do I," He added, and they shared a passionate kiss for several seconds. They separated after they were on the bed, their hair now messy and unkempt. "Okay, I need to use the little boy's room real quick. Be right back, cutie." He pecked her lips, then headed for the bathroom. She carefully stood on her feet, and looked at herself in her full body mirror, admiring her new pjs. She couldn't hold back the tears that welled up in her eyes, as she sat back on the bed, and let pitiful cries out in her hands. She didn't notice Chuckie walking back in the room after a second. "Shen!" He ran up, and sat on the bed next to her, and rubbed her arm over her soft hoodie. "What's wrong, baby girl? Why are you crying?"

"I'm getting fat and ugly already! You'll leave me for someone skinny, and pretty!" She sobbed. "I'm going to be a single mother!"

"No, I'm not!" He hugged her tightly, but carefully, letting her cry in his shoulder. "I'll never leave you! You're not raising this baby alone, if I can help it! I'm yours for eternity, I promise." ' _These mood swings are going to be the death of me,_ ' He thought to himself.

She took some deep breaths, and drew away from him. "Thanks," She sniffled, "These mood swings are killing me."

"It's okay," He caressed her hair, "Just remember this: In about a month, we're going to learn our baby's gender."

A small smile grew on her face. "That's right. I wonder which one it'll be?"

"We'll just have to wait," He shrugged, "But let's get some sleep."

"'Kaykay," She yawned, "I just need to take a little pee-pee real quick." She steadily stood on the floor, and hastily headed for the bathroom. After she finished, they snuggled into bed together, with her laying on her back, and him on his side. "G'night," She laid her hands on her stomach.

"G'night, mommy," He kissed her lips, then took off his glasses, and she set them with hers on the cupcake table. But just then, she started crying again, to his concern and sympathy. "Shh," He stroked her hair, "It's okay, Shen. You're okay, baby." He tried to sooth her, but she just couldn't calm down. "Shenzi, you're the most beautiful expecting woman on this whole planet." She laid her face on his shoulder again, so he held her closer. He tried to think of another tactic to calm her down enough for her to sleep, but his mind was blank. But then he remembered the song she sang from the bathroom to the dressing room just before Tommy and Kimi's wedding began. " _ **I see your true colors shining through,**_ " He started singing quietly, catching her attention, " _ **I see your true colors, and that's why I love you,**_ " He kissed her forehead, as her cries reduced to sniffles, " ** _So don't be afraid to let them show. Your true colors are beautiful._** " When he finished, she was peacefully asleep. He brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers, and drifted off to sleep.

Just before he was out, he had one thought: ' _I wonder what Tommy and Kimi are up to._ '

At a nice hotel all the way in Japan, Tommy changed into a pair of black and white plaid pajama pants. He was currently at his honeymoon with his one and only, in the country of her birth. "You ready for bed, handsome?" His cheeks flushed when he saw Kimi at the bathroom doorway, wearing a white, sheer eyelash robe that went to her upper thighs, turquoise Ugg boots, a white camisole with turquoise lace trimming, and matching boyshorts.

"Yes ma'am," He smiled seductively, and they shared a passionate kiss. Before long, they were in the bed. "Can you believe we're already married?"

"It seems like only yesterday, we met in Paris at that restaurant," She agreed.

"Yep," He nodded. Peter Albany had told them about how they first met, so it was fresh in their memories.

Kimi's gaze locked on the window, where the neon lights of the city were in view. "Isn't Fukuoka beautiful at night?"

"Absolutely," Tommy nodded, looking out the window as well, "But not as beautiful as you." They shared another kiss.

"Um... I wonder if we'll ever have any kids of our own, like Shenzi and Chuckie?" She wondered aloud.

"Maybe," He shrugged, "I hope so." They fell asleep after about a minute, memories of the blissful day running through their minds. They stifled laughter at Chuckie's goofy antics, but kept at peace.

* * *

 **(A/N: Well, that concludes Tommy and Kimi's wedding! You know the disclaimer. Zack belongs to celrock, and "True Colors" is originally by Cyndi Lauper, but I used the version by Marina and the Diamonds, as stated by Shenzi. Why is Chuckie drunk? I dunno. I couldn't resist. XD I was inspired by fanfics4ever on deviantart to have "Love of a Lifetime" be Tommy and Kimi's wedding song.)**


	16. It's a-!

**(A/N: Here, you readers will learn the gender of the Sheckie baby! Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 15

* * *

"This is it," Shenzi remarked with excitement.

"This is it," Chuckie repeated.

They were currently at the Yucaipa Hospital, for her appointment where they would ultimately learn their baby's gender, and the due date of when he or she will arrive. Shenzi was now almost 5 months pregnant, and was easily exhausted. She and her husband had gone shopping for maternity clothes earlier in the week, so she had plenty to wear during the last 4 months of her pregnancy.

She rubbed her large stomach, as Chuckie rested an arm on her shoulders. "I... I can't believe this is happening."

"Me neither," He agreed with her, "We're going to learn our baby's gender, and possible birthday."

"Well, not just that," She admitted, "I mean... everything. I'm married to you, and am currently carrying _your_ child."

"Oh yeah," He nodded, "But I wouldn't have it any other way." He kissed her temple. "I can't imagine my life without you. I don't know how I survived 9 years without you, despite us being much younger then."

"And I you," She laid on his shoulder, and held his hand in hers, on her shoulder.

"Finsters?" The nurse called for them.

"That's us. Come on, Shen." He helped her stand up, and they walked into the office.

"How're you two lovebirds today?"

"We're great," Shenzi replied, "We're eager to learn whether we're having a boy, or a girl, and when they'll be born."

"How far along are you, honey?"

"I'm about 5 months along."

"Alright," The nurse nodded, "Now, you just lay here." Shenzi carefully laid on the table, and pulled her dress up, blushing shyly at her underwear being revealed. "Now, this goo is a little warm." She clenched the table, and stifled giggles when the nurse rubbed some goo on her stomach after turning the machine on. "Sorry, are you ticklish?"

"A little," She shrugged.

"You have no idea," Chuckie chuckled, earning a playful glare from his wife, "It's more than a little."

"Ah," The nurse giggled, then showed them the monitor after the process was complete. "There's your baby."

"Oh my," Shenzi laid her fingers on the screen over the blob in her uterus, as did Chuckie. "What's the gender?"

"Let's have a look," The nurse studied the screen, then turned to the couple. "Congratulations, you two. You're going to have a little girl."

"Oh!" Shenzi gushed with her hands over her mouth.

"My God," Chuckie breathed in awe, with a big smile.

"Here, you take these and show your friends and families," The nurse gave him some papers in an envelope, along with ultrasound pictures. "Congratulations again."

"Thanks!" They answered simultaneously.

"Is there a due date yet?" Shenzi asked her.

"Well, if everything goes right, and there are no early arrivals, your little daughter should come out on... the 15th of April."

"What?" The soon-to-be mother smiled widely at that.

"You're kidding!" Chuckie stood up. "That's my birthday!"

"Is it really?" The nurse confirmed, and they nodded. "Then you'll get the greatest present you could ever receive, Mr. Finster."

"Yes I will," He nodded.

l-l

In the new family car, which had the superhero Mickey antenna topper, Shenzi held the envelope as Chuckie drove. "I can't believe we're having a girl!" She exclaimed with joy. "Our little princess!"

"She'll be as beautiful as her mother," Chuckie predicted, "I just know it."

"Aww," She blushed, "I bet she'll have your beautiful eyes, and your adorable freckles." She prodded his cheek, making him chuckle.

"Maybe. Freckles are pretty hereditary."

"And adorable," She giggled, "I can't wait to tell everyone what we're having!"

"We'd better do it before the baby shower. According to Kimi, aka the planner, it's in 3 weeks."

"'Kay. I can't wait for it!"

"Me neither, Shen. Me neither."

l-l

"Everything set up?" Shenzi asked him, sitting on a black Mickey Mouse shaped cushioned club chair with 3 pillows. It was just by the food table. For a special event, she was wearing a black maternity fit tiered skirt, a black maternity t-shirt with a pink sign that read "It's a Girl!" on her stomach decorated with a pink bow, a black long sleeve, button-up crop top with all the buttons undone, black Converse dance lace sneakers, a pink vinyl hair bow, black rose earrings, a pink hair extension, and her wedding ring.

"Almost," Chuckie replied. He was in blue denim jeans, classic Converse high-tops, a black and white tuxedo t-shirt with a pink bow tie, and his wedding ring.

"You sure you don't need my help?"

"Oh, no, I'm alright," He shook his head, "You rest, babe. I'm fine." He set a plate of zebra print cake pops with pink flowers on a table with a black and light pink vertically striped tablecloth, next to a tray of pink and zebra striped onesie cookies, a stand of black, pink, and white cupcakes, and a black, pink, and zebra striped cake with two blocks that read "Girl". Zebra and pink flower onesie edible fondants circled around it, and it was topped off with a fondant topper of a baby with fuzzy black hair on a pink circular blanket, wearing a black and white striped headband with a pink flower, a zebra striped skirt, and had zebra shoes close by. Chuckie admired the cake topper after he finished tying black and pink heart balloons around the room. "Man Shen, I can't believe you found this baby topper at etsy. It looks so professional."

"Doesn't it?" She agreed. "Those little zebra onesies were from the same seller. I can't believe how quickly they came."

"Me neither. They look pretty tasty." He reached for one, but she stopped him.

"Uhp-uhp-uhp! Not 'til the baby shower starts, mister," She giggled, "It'll be a few minutes."

"Yes mother," He chuckled, and sat next to her closely, "I'm so excited that we're having a girl."

"Me too. Although I'm excited to see you deal with her dating boys," She giggled.

"Not going to happen," He shook his head, "She won't be dating until she's 30, at least."

"I don't think so," She protested, "I want her to live her life the way she wants to... as long as she's safe."

He sighed hesitantly, then nodded. "Me too. I'll move it down to 20. Or 25." She giggled with a playful eye roll. They both looked to the door when the bell was rung. "I'll get it." He kissed her lips, then answered the door, so Frankie and Bobby walked in. "Hey, guys! Thanks for coming!"

"It's our pleasure," Frankie nodded.

"You guys just make yourselves at home."

"Thanks, man," Bobby nodded, and walked into the living room with his fiancée, greeting Shenzi. For the baby shower, which had a casual dress code, Frankie was wearing a white loose tank top with a "Love is Free" spraypaint design with a pink outlined heart and black letters, black stingerette jeans, a Tippi cardigan, a thin belt, Converse low-tops with white laces, and striped heart earrings, all in pastel pink. Her silver engagement ring was still on her finger. Bobby was in a black t-shirt, a pink hoodie, black jeans, and classic Converse low-tops.

Soon, all the guests had arrived at the house for the party, and gathered in the living room. Kimi was wearing a black and white striped t-shirt, black opaque tights, black combat boots with light pink laces, blue waterproof eye shadow, black rose earrings, light pink rose earrings in her extra piercings, her wedding ring, a pastel pink skater skirt, and a cropped moto jacket in the same color. Her hair was in two partial ponytails, per usual. Roxy wore a black puff-sleeve shirt with a pink bow lavaliere design on front, denim capris with two zippers at the hips, black bow tie ballet flats, and turquoise starfish earrings. Maxie was in a light pink t-shirt, vintage denim jeans, and classic Converse high-tops. Nicole was clad in a pink cropped t-shirt, a black denim cropped vest, classic denim shorts, black and pink checkerboard Vans, pink rose ice cream cone stud earrings, and surprisingly, a pink "N" initial belly button ring.

"Congratulations on having a girl!" Nicole hugged them in turn, unintentionally making Shenzi feel uneasy when she hugged Chuckie.

"Th-thanks," She stammered, "How's yours?"

Around a year ago, Nicole and Fridge had a girl of their own, naming her Miley. "She's wonderful; Fridge is looking after her right now. He hated to miss this party, but we couldn't find a babysitter in time."

"It's okay," Chuckie assured her, as his wife stayed quiet, "Um, you can bring some snacks home for them, if you want to."

"Great! Thanks! They'll love that!" She then rushed over to talk with Lil and Wally, Phil's fiancée.

When Chuckie turned back to the chair, he saw Shenzi staring at her lap, or her large stomach, and her hands, looking uneasy. "Shen, what's wrong?" He sat next to her.

"I... I don't know," She replied, "For some reason, when you were talking with Nicole and she hugged you, I felt kind of... icky."

"You need to use the bathroom?"

"No," She shook her head, "I guess I just... don't think I'm pretty enough for you, and never will be." Some tears welled up in her blinking eyes, as her hands rested under her nose, with her elbows on her stomach.

"Of course you are!" He assured her, with his hands on her shoulders, and one arm at her back. "No one on this planet can compare to you." He gently lowered her hands. "You're the sweetest, most beautiful girl I've ever had the pleasure to know. I won't leave you, and I never will. You're the only one for me. I love you." He stroked her hair, and kissed her cheek.

She sighed quietly, then turned and laid on his chest and shoulder. "I love you too. I'm just afraid that someday, some pretty girl will sweep you off your feet."

"That already happened," He whispered with a chuckle, and rested his forehead on hers. "You see, when I was 11, I was on my way to have history class with Mr. Banks, when someone crashed into me. When I looked up, that someone turned out to be the prettiest girl I had ever seen." He moved his arm and right hand to her blushing face. "Now... that girl is my wife, and will remain so until our lives end." He gently kissed her lips with his hands on her blushing cheeks. "Just as I said to you on our wedding day, you're the love of my life, and you always will be." He didn't want to bring up her promise of high school, to stop doubting their relationship or their feelings for each other. She would only feel worse for breaking that promise, and she was already moody.

"Thanks, Chuckie." They shared a sweet embrace, staying in it for several seconds.

"Hey, Chuckster!" Phil cheerfully called out. "Get your butt over here! The guys and I wanna give you a toast!"

"Okay!" He called back, then turned to his wife. "I'll be right back, babe."

"'Kay," She nodded.

"Just remember: I love you, and no one else... in that way."

"A'ight," She giggled, and they shared a quick kiss.

Chuckie then rushed over to Tommy, Dil, Phil, Bobby, Maxie, and Matt. "Okay, I'm here, fellas."

"Alright, now for a toast!" Tommy announced, and the guys held up their goblets, which had zebra stripes with pink on the handles. No drinks were alchoholic at the party. "To Chuckie Finster, the first out of all of us to become a father!" They clinked their glasses together, and cheered for the man of the hour. "Congratulations, C-Man." He clapped his shoulder. "You're going to be an amazing father." They drank up the water in their glasses.

"Thanks, guys. I never thought I'd be the first out of us."

"I'd love to see how you handle your daughter dating," Phil snickered.

"That's what Shen said earlier," Chuckie chuckled, "I decided to wait until she's 25 to let her start dating."

"You sound like your father-in-law," Maxie laughed.

"Well, like him, I'm protective of my daughter. Already."

At the chair, the girls gathered around the girl of the hour with their own goblets. "I'd like to make a toast to my baby sister," Frankie held her glass of water up, "Shenzi Tuck, the first out of us ladies to become a mother! Cheers!" They clinked their goblets together, then drank out of them.

"Thanks, girls. I know life with a child will be great."

"Yeah!" Lil nodded in agreement. "You can buy cute little baby clothes, and toys, and not feel weird in Babies R' Us!" The girls started at her with funny expressions. "Not that it's happened to me. Anyway, maybe later on, we ladies can shop for your baby! We can get a crib, a mobile, and other stuff. Depending on what presents you get."

"Sounds good," Shenzi nodded, "I hope Chuckie's okay with it."

"Why wouldn't he be?" Nicole asked her after returning from the bathroom.

"Well, since I've been pregnant, he's been protective of me, hovering over me like a papa bear."

"Ah," Frankie nodded, "It's understandable. He just wants you, and your child safe."

"Yeah," She agreed.

"Maybe he can come with us!" Roxy suggested. "We don't want to shop for your baby without you... until after she's born."

"I can ask him after he's done with the guys," Shenzi glanced at her husband.

"Sounds good," Lil nodded, "We're going to get some snacks."

"'Kay," She nodded, and watched them walk to the food table. She stayed quiet as she twiddled her fingers, wondering when Chuckie was going to come back. Despite the crowd, she felt... lonely. Now, no one was talking to her; She figured that they wanted her to rest, but still. Plus she wondered when presents would be given for her and her lover to open.

She remembered how the announcement of the baby's gender went with hers and Chuckie's friends and families just a week back.

l-l

 _The friends all gathered in the kitchen, along with the expecting mother's parents, to wait for the announcement, as per request from the expecting couple._

 _"Okay Shen," Chuckie helped his wife stand up from the club chair, allowing her to take his time, "Let's go make the announcement to everyone." She was wearing the same shirt as she would for the baby shower._

 _"'Kaykay," She nodded, and covered the sign graphic over her stomach, then followed him into the crowded kitchen._

 _"Okay everyone," Chuckie gained the guests' attention, "It's time you knew just what we're going to have. Shenzi?" She unveiled the sign on her shirt, and the guests showed great enthusiasm._

 _"Oh!" Frankie gushed. "You're having a little princess!" She hugged them both, then turned to Bobby, Tommy, and Kimi. "We're getting a niece!"_

 _"I can't believe my little girl is having a little girl of her own!" Felicia embraced her youngest daughter, then her son-in-law._

 _Shenzi then went to her father, and hugged him tightly. "I'm so happy!"_

 _"Me too, sweetheart," He returned the embrace, "Me too. You'll be an amazing mother."_

 _"Thanks, Daddy."_

 _"Chuckie, I know you're going to be a wonderful father," Chaz praised his son, "Just like your old man."_

 _"Thanks Dad," They hugged tightly again._

 _"I bet your daughter will be as beautiful as her mother," Kira added._

 _"I know she will," Chuckie agreed._

 _"I'm so excited to be Aunt Kimi!" His sister gushed. "I already want to buy cute little clothes for her!"_

 _"I'm pretty stoked to be an uncle," Tommy added, "You guys will be great parents."_

 _"Thanks, T."_

 _"Yeah, thanks Tommy."_

l-l

Shenzi snapped back into reality, and looked around the busy room. She then squirmed a bit when she had a bit of a bad feeling in her bladder. She was relieved when she saw Friar Tuck at the food table, not doing anything. "Um, D-Dad?"

He turned, and walked up to her. "What's wrong, Shenzi?"

"I-I have to pee," She stammered timidly, "And Chuckie's a little busy."

"Oh! Here, I'll help you." He helped her stand up, and they headed for the bathroom.

Chuckie noticed that his wife was out of her seat. "Uh, excuse me, guys." He rushed over in concern. "Are you okay, Shenzi?" He laid a hand on the side of her head.

"Yeah, I just have to pee," She replied, blushing at his touch, "You were busy, so I asked Dad to take me."

"Well, I-I can take you."

"That fine, Dad?"

"Yeah," He nodded, "I don't want you to be embarrassed by me seeing too much."

"Ah," She giggled, and shifted into her husband's arms, "Thanks."

"It's my pleasure, baby." Friar Tuck kissed her cheek, "Take care of her."

"I will," Chuckie nodded, then started guiding his wife to the bathroom. "Shen, how come you didn't yell for me? I could've gladly taken you in the first place." They started trudging up the stairs at this point.

"Well, you seemed busy with the guys, and I didn't want to bother you."

"Sweetie, you can never bother me," He kissed her head, "Unlike me, you have very important needs." Before long, they were at the top of the staircase.

"P-please hurry!" She exclaimed.

"'Kay!" He rushed her to the restroom, helped pull her skirt and underwear down, and sat her on the toilet. "Okay, you do your business, mommy." He shielded his eyes while facing the door, so she had a bit of privacy. "Tell me when you need to wash up. I won't touch your dirty hands."

Before long, she was done, and they trudged back downstairs. He sat her back in the chair, and was thankful when the guys didn't try to call him back over as he sat next to her. "Sorry I was ignoring you either, Shen. I was just talking with the guys, and I lost track of the time."

"It's okay," She assured him, "Um, I know you just sat down, but can you get me a cake pop, please?"

"Whatever you want." He stood up, grabbed a cake pop from the tray by the stick, along with a onesie fondant for himself, and sat back down. "Here you go." He let her grab the stick.

"Thanks!" She took a bite out of the chocolate treat, and moaned with delight. "Mm, yummy. These remind me of the cake pops in Disneyland. Remember that trip on my birthday?"

"I sure do," He nodded, taking a little bite out of the fondant.

"Hey, kids?" Felicia came up to them. "Once you're done eating, we're going to start giving you presents."

"Mm!" Shenzi showed excitement with her mouth full, then swallowed. "Okay, Mom. We'll speak up when we're done." After they finished, they stood up off the chair.

"Oh, you guys don't have to stand up," Kimi assured them, "You two sit." Chuckie sat back down, and after quickly grabbing a fondant and popping it in her mouth, Shenzi followed his lead.

"Okay, this first one is from me and your father," Felicia set a long present in Chuckie's lap, the couple opened it together. There were pieces for a white and dark pink high chair, black, white, and pink knitted baby booties that looked like sneakers, a mobile with a black and white polka dot awning and pink dangling hearts, and white baby tights with pink Hello Kitty bow outlines.

"This was your old high chair, sweetheart," Friar Tuck told his youngest daughter, "Your mom and I thought you could use it for your own little angel. And that was your mobile too."

"I made those little booties myself, as soon as we heard you're having a girl," Felicia added, "I knitted them whenever you slept, or were out. And I found those tights at the Sanrio website."

"Thanks," She hugged them both in turn, as did Chuckie.

"Okay, these are from me," Frankie gave them a smaller, but still nicely-sized present, and the couple opened it. There was a baby mermaid outfit, consisting of green scale leggings, a purplish-pink bow headband, and a white onesie with matching shells on the front. There was also two mermaid bow headbands, both with a green scale band, but one had the bow matching, while the other's had purple sequins.

"Thanks, sis!" She hugged them in turn, then let the next presents be delivered. "These are so cute!"

"When I saw these, I knew you just had to have them." Kimi had given them a white onesie that read "One" in purple letters, and came with a green mermaid scales diaper cover with ruffles and a purple bow on the back, and a green, thin elastic headband with two flowers in different shades of purple. "Tommy picked these out." They were 3 different Ariel tutu onesies, two with long sleeves and one with no sleeves.

"Thanks, guys!" Shenzi hugged them in turn, as did Chuckie.

"These will look adorable."

They also received a white and black polka dot elastic headband with Minnie ears that had a red sequin bow, a black and white striped elastic headband with a pink metallic bow, and a black t-shirt for Chuckie that read "There's this girl who stole my heart. She calls me Dad" in white letters. It came with a pink short-sleeved onesie that read "I stole Daddy's heart" in white letters, with a heart replacing the "a" in its word.

After more presents were given, everyone minded their own business again, as the couple sat in the chair. "These presents are wonderful, aren't they?" Shenzi remarked as she and Chuckie each ate a onesie cookie, with their heads resting against each other, hers on his shoulder.

"Yes they are," He nodded, "Our baby will look very cute in these. And the high chair and mobile from your parents will really come in handy."

"Hmm," She nodded, "Hey, I just had an idea! Let's give her nursery a mermaid theme!"

"That's a good idea!" He agreed with her. "When you girls go baby shopping, the guys can paint the room. I'll be with you girls, to ensure your safety."

"Thanks, Chuck. I was going to ask you. But wait! Where will we put the nursery? All the rooms are being used."

"Hey, guys!" Frankie came up to them. "You need a location for the nursery? I plan on moving out with Bobby very soon. You can use my room! It's emptied out anyway."

"Gee, thanks Frankie!" Shenzi hugged her.

"It's my pleasure. Only the best for my little niece, and my little sister." She then headed off.

"Well, I'm glad that's settled," Chuckie remarked.

"Me too," Shenzi agreed.

l-l

That night, after Frankie, Felicia, and Friar Tuck had gone to bed, the expecting couple were still awake in their pajamas. She had the ones he gave her earlier on, only without the hoodie. "Today was a lot of fun," Shenzi remarked quietly.

"Yes it was," Chuckie agreed, "The snacks were delicious, the presents are great, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves." The gifts were currently on her desk, ready to be put away once the nursery would be done. "Oh, Shen? I uh, have a present of my own for you." He took a thin box out from under the bed, and set it in front of her.

"Thanks, Chuckie." She opened the box, and to her joy and amusement, it was a black, long-sleeve maternity shirt with a ribcage and a little mermaid skeleton, with a red hibiscus on the head, at where her stomach would be, as if symbolizing the baby. The ribcage had what looked like fins at the sides, and the top under the shoulder bones. "Aww, I love it! Thank you!" She hugged him from the side. "I should wear this when we go baby shopping!"

"Sounds like a plan," He kissed her cheek, "I'm glad you like it. When I saw it, I immediately thought of you."

"Well, I love it. I can't wait to wear it out in public!"

"I bet it'll look great on you, Shen."

"Thanks." She let out a yawn, with her eyes tightly shut. "Man, I'm exhausted. Let's get some sleep."

"Sounds good." They laid on the pillows, shifted under the covers, and took off their glasses, with her setting both pairs on her bedside table. "G'night, mommy."

"G'night, daddy." They both drifted off to sleep, snuggling against one another.

* * *

 **(A/N: Well, there you have it. They're having a girl! You know the disclaimer.)**

 **(A/N: Shenzi's discomfort at Nicole hugging Chuckie represents my own newfound discomfort for the couple. If you ship them, I respect your opinion completely! I'm not going to make you change your opinion for me. To his each his own. I just prefer Chuckie with Shenzi above everyone else.)**


	17. Nursery, Disney, and Christmas

**(A/N: This is a very long one! O,O Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 16

* * *

"Here we are!" Frankie announced after parking in front of Walmart, on a nice but chilly day in early December, and the girls plus a certain boy piled out of her car. The expecting mother was wearing her new skeleton mermaid shirt, black maternity yoga pants, black mermaid flip-flops with a shell on the straps, a red hair extension, black mermaid scales circular earrings with silver frames, and her wedding ring. Chuckie was in blue denim jeans, classic Converse low-tops, white golden toe socks, a black hoodie with blue sleeves and a yellow hood and pocket, a black t-shirt with the Kiss classic band logo, and his wedding ring. "Let's get in there!"

"Hey, Chuckie?" Shenzi looked up at her husband.

"Yeah?"

"I think we should do a mermaid theme for our daughter's first birthday."

He let a smile grow. "That sounds great, but that's quite a ways away," He chuckled, "We have plenty of time to think of a theme." He took out his phone when his text tone for Tommy rang. "Looks like they're getting started."

"Do they have pictures?" She tried to look with eagerness.

"Shen," He chuckled, "I told you, it's a surprise."

"But doing the mermaid theme was my idea!" She protested, suddenly irritated. Mood swings again. "Why can't I see it yet?"

"Shen, I know it was, but you weren't very specific. Plus they're only doing the floor and walls. We're doing everything else together, with our girl friends."

She sighed deeply, and was able to calm herself down. "O-okay. I'll wait 'til they're done."

"Thanks. And Tommy didn't send pictures anyway."

"Ohh."

The group entered the large store, and made a beeline for the baby section. "Okay, now that we know you're having a girl, it makes this much easier," Wally remarked. The girls soon found a grey prism metal crib frame, which Lil lugged in the cart, before Chuckie found a standard mattress for it.

"Alright, what shall we get for a mermaid theme nursery?" Chuckie asked rhetorically, as they browsed the crib bedding after the mattress was in the cart, which Frankie pushed.

"Here!" Shenzi held a set of Ariel crib bedding, with sheets, 4 flannel blankets, a plush blanket, a crib bumper, a portrait blanket, and a crib liner for extra protection.

"Perfect," Chuckie gave her two thumbs up, so she put the items in the cart. As they browsed some more, he wondered how it was going back at the house.

l-l

At the Tuck residence, Tommy, Maxie, Phil, Bobby, Dil, Matt, and Harold were painting the walls of Frankie's bedroom. They had to put in a white wallpaper first, so the light marine green wouldn't look too dark, considering the walls were originally black. "Phew," Phil wiped his forehead, "I'm exhausted!"

"Phil, we've been painting for 5 minutes," Tommy deadpanned.

"It feels like hours." He continued moving the roller up and down the wall.

"Dude, we're doing this as a favor for two good friends," Bobby pointed out, "Chuckie's counting on us to make this room perfect for their baby."

"I'm so happy for Shen and the Chuckster," Dil remarked, "I had a feeling that they'd hit it first." The boys snickered at the innuendo. "But seriously, though; They'll be amazing parents."

"Yes they will," Maxie agreed with him.

"I wonder what they'll name her?" Harold wondered aloud.

"Who knows?" Tommy shrugged. "Could be anything. I bet it'll be a great name."

"I hate to change the subject, but I wonder how it's going with Chuck and the girls?" Matt remarked.

l-l

"Hey Shen, look at this," Chuckie grabbed a sea dreams baby soother from a shelf, "It doesn't have any mermaids, but it has an ocean theme."

Shenzi studied it, then nodded her head. "It's perfect." He put it in the cart, and they continued browsing. She grabbed an Ariel Tsum Tsum mini plush from one of the toy sections when they passed it, then clasped her hands together. "Anything else here?"

"I don't think so," Chuckie shook his head, "We already have a high chair and mobile from your parents, so I guess we're done here." The group paid for the items, and left the store. Chuckie helped the girls squeeze everything in Frankie's car trunk, not letting Shenzi participate.

"Hey, I have an idea!" She headed for the Hallmark next to the Walmart, with Chuckie following as the rest of the girls stayed at the car.

"What's your idea, Shen?" He asked her, as they entered the store.

"Hang on a sec," She looked around, "I just need to find them. Aha!" She ran to the section with the Itty Bitty plushes, dug through them, and took out Ariel. "Here we go!" They then headed for the register, and she paid for the toy.

"I could've paid for it, Shen," Chuckie pointed out, as they walked outside.

"I know," She giggled, "But it was my idea."

"True," He shrugged, as they sat next to each other in the back of the car. "I wonder how it's going with the guys?"

l-l

"Okay, is the wall paint dry?" Maxie asked everyone.

"Umm," Dil lightly touched it with his index finger, and nodded when his finger was clean, "Yep, all dry!"

"Good," Tommy nodded, "Let's get started on that carpet, boys." They lugged the rolled-up pink carpet in the room. "The fact that it sticks to the floor will make this a bit tricky. We'll have to be careful. Good thing Chuckie had it cut to fit this room in advance." They struggled to lay it flat after peeling the paper off the underside, and stepped on the carpet to make it stick. Miraculously, they managed to succeed in their mission. "Perfect!" Tommy gave two thumbs up after assisting with the work. "Nice work, guys! Now for the decal Chuck got for the room." He took out a sheet with a decal of a mermaid mother and daughter, the mother having black hair, a purple tail, and purple seashells, while the daughter had orange hair, and a purple tail.

"Where should this puppy go?" Phil wondered aloud.

"Let's elevate it a little," Maxie held it up on the wall, "So that it's visible wherever the crib will be at."

"Sounds good," Tommy nodded, and helped Phil, Dil, and Harold stick it to the wall in the place Maxie suggested. "Okay, perfect! Shenzi and Chuckie will love it! I'll text Chuckie, telling him we're done." He took out his phone, selected his friend's number, and spread the message.

l-l

During the drive home, after stopping at the Disney store in the mall so Shenzi could get a set of 4 exclusive Little Mermaid Tsum Tsums with a Flounder bag, Chuckie took out his phone when it buzzed and played a text tone, and checked the message. "Hey Shen? The guys are done with the room. All that's needed is everything we've got."

"Oh, awesome! I can't wait to see it!"

"Tommy promised that we'll love it. And I trust him."

"Me too," She agreed with him.

They soon arrived at the Tuck residence, and Chuckie had to hold onto Shenzi to keep her from running into the house. The rest of the girls were eager to see the nursery, but agreed to let the expecting parents see it first. It was for their baby, after all. "Okay Shen, let's go see the nursery."

"Right!" She nodded, and almost rushed up the stairs, but he stopped her.

"Take your time," He held onto her upper arms, "Just take your time. It'll be worth the wait."

"Alright," She nodded, and walked slowly with him.

"Okay guys," Tommy held onto the doorknob, while the door was closed, "Behold!" He swung it open, and the couple looked around the room in awe. The walls were now a light marine green with a pink carpet, and the decal Chuckie bought from etsy.

"Wow!" Shenzi exclaimed. "It looks amazing! Thanks, guys!" She carefully hugged the boys in turn.

"You guys did great," Chuckie praised them, "It's perfect."

"Where's the crib and stuff?" Dil asked the couple. "We'll set it up."

"What can I do?" Shenzi asked around. "I want to help too!"

"You can find a place for those little toys you got, until we find a toy box," Chuckie suggested, "How's that sound?"

"Okay!" She agreed to it. Everyone lugged the crib frame, mattress, and sheets/blankets to the nursery, and set them up, so the crib was under the mermaids. Chuckie put the sheets on the mattress, set it in the frame, and laid the blankets over it. He planned on getting pillows later on, since they had somehow forgotten earlier. After the blankets were in, Shenzi added the Itty Bitty Ariel in, leaving the Tsum Tsums on the floor by the crib. She hoped to stop at the World of Disney, seeing as it was free access without park admission required, and buy more little toys and clothes for their little princess. She thought about asking Chuckie if he could take her sometime.

Soon, everyone left after the nursery was all set up, and ready for its future resident. The sun had gone down, and the moon took its place in the clear, black sky. Not to mention everyone except the couple were already in bed. "Okay Shen, I'm going to take a shower real quick," Chuckie informed her, "So don't go upstairs until I'm out."

"What can I do until then?"

"Hmm... oh!" He took the soother out of the box, led her to the kitchen table, sat her down, and set the soother in front of her. "How about you see if this will be soothing for the baby?"

"Okay," She shrugged, and turned it on.

"I'll be back momentarily," Chuckie walked up the stairs, briefly glancing at his one and only, then headed for the bathroom after grabbing a towel, a washcloth, and clean clothes.

As he scrubbed shampoo in his hair, he imagined what life would be like with a daughter after she's born. She would be his little princess, and no man was going to steal her away from him. Not while he was around to scare them off. Not to mention nobody was going to hurt his wife, or his child and get away with it. After turning the water off, stepping out of the tub, and drying himself off, he changed into his clean clothes and went to check on Shenzi. "Shen? Will that soother be good for...?" He stopped when he saw her asleep with her head on her arms, slumped over on the table, with the soother still on. "... Our baby?" He finished, then walked up to her. He carefully picked her up after turning the soother off, and struggled to carry her upstairs without waking her. On the way up the stairs, she held onto his shirt with a peaceful, sleepy moan, making him smile. He carefully set her face-up on their bed, laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, and kissed her head. "Shen?"

She flinched awake with a little snort, her glasses falling on her stomach, and rubbed her eyes with her fist. "I must've fallen asleep."

"Well, you settled it, then," He chuckled, "If it puts you to sleep, then it's gotta work on our baby."

"Ah," She giggled, putting her glasses back on, "What time is it?"

"About 10:30," He replied, "Why don't we go to sleep? You seem exhausted."

"Sounds good," She nodded with another yawn, and stood up with his help.

"After we're done and you're in bed, I'll strap that soother on the crib."

"'Kay," She acknowledged his plan, and brushed her teeth with him by her side. When she was in bed, wearing her favorite maternity pajamas, the tracksuit and camisole, he stayed on his feet. "Okay, I'll be right back. You just make yourself cozy." He kissed her cheek, then walked downstairs to retrieve the soother from the kitchen table. He took it upstairs, strapped it on the crib, and walked back into his bedroom, where his wife was already peacefully asleep on her back, with her hands on her stomach, and her glasses still on her face. He gently took them off, set them on the bedside table, and laid closely next to her. "G'night, mommy," He whispered and kissed her temple, then drifted off to sleep.

l-l

Later, in the middle of the month, the couple arranged a trip to the Downtown Disney District for a few baby necessities, now that they knew the gender, from the happiest place on earth. Chuckie was in a white and blue raglan shirt with a Mickey Mouse "Daddy" design ironed on the front, royal blue slim-fit jeans, and blue Vans with white laces. Shenzi wore her new maternity white and black raglan shirt with a Minnie Mouse ears, gloves, and feet design ironed on where her stomach was, representing their little girl, black maternity trousers, black croc flats, a light pink hair extension to go with her maternity shirt design, and black double hoop earrings. They both had their wedding rings safe on their fingers.

Chuckie was driving to their destination, when he saw her sleeping in her seat, her hands on her stomach, and smiled at her serenity. When he carefully stopped at a red light, he kissed his wife's forehead and stroked her soft hair, although she didn't move. As he drove some more, he wondered if she would try to sneak a peek at the Christmas decorations in the parks. If she would try, then he couldn't blame her; From what he'd seen in pictures online, they were amazing. He just might try to catch a glimpse himself.

After a while, he parked in the familiar parking area, turned off the car, which had a "Baby on Board" sticker on the back, and turned to Shenzi. "Shen? We're here." He gently nudged her, and she woke up with a little grunt.

"Huh? Oh!" She noticed he was right after her foggy vision cleared. "We taking the tram?"

"Well, I think the district is close enough for us to walk," He replied, then stepped out of the car, and helped her out.

"'Kay," She giggled, and held his hand as they walked. By the time they made it to the area, she was already exhausted. "Phew," She puffed out.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Y-yeah," She replied, "I'm just tired. My feet and back are aching."

"You want to sit down for a minute?"

"Sure," She nodded, and they sat down in the Rainforest Cafe.

"Can I help you?" The woman at the counter asked them. "Oh, uh, my wife is just exhausted. She's pregnant, and we had to walk all the way from the parking lot, so she has to rest. We'll only be a minute, I promise."

"Take your time."

"Thanks," Chuckie then looked down at his wife, who was panting with her head on his shoulder. Under her bangs, her forehead looked a little shiny. "Just tell me when you're ready to go, 'kay?"

"Mm hmm," She nodded, then groaned, "Ugh, my back hurts. After this, no more kids."

"Deal," He chuckled, and she smiled weakly, "Here." He started carefully, but firmly rubbing her back. "How's that?"

"Very relaxing," She replied, her head now at his neck, "Thanks."

"My pleasure," He kissed her forehead at her hair line, not caring that she was sweating a little, and kept rubbing. He laid his free hand on her stomach, so it was over the decal. "You're wearing Mommy out, princess."

"Yes she is," Shenzi giggled weakly. After a couple of relaxing minutes, she spoke up. "Okay, I'm better. Let's head over there."

"Alright," He nodded, helped her stand up, and headed outside.

"Have a magical day!" The Rainforest Cafe employee called out to them.

"Thanks!" They called back simultaneously.

"I think I'll get a coffee on the way out," Chuckie decided after spotting a Starbucks.

"Sounds good," She nodded, "Just don't get into any dangerous confrontations with cut-off relatives." They shared a laugh at the memory.

"I'll do my best."

"Look, Legos!" She pointed out. "Aren't those sculptures amazing?"

"Yep," He nodded, "But let's wait and see if she likes Legos before getting any."

"Deal," She agreed, and after a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at their destination, "We're here!"

"Yep," He nodded, "I'm glad that now, we can browse together."

"Me too." When they walked into the store, her eyes almost physically lit up. "Ooh, Christmas stuff!"

"It's the most wonderful time of the year," He smirked, "Let's look around."

Upon spotting it, she made a beeline for a white Minnie Mouse ears "Original Mouseketeer" onesie with red trimming, to match with the shirts she got on her birthday. She also found a plush doll of Minnie dressed as Ariel. "Whil we're here, let's get some Christmas stuff!" She suggested with excitement.

"Sounds good to me," He nodded, and they started browsing. They picked out a red and green plaid tree skirt with Mickey and Minnie building a snowman, arranging to have it personalized with "The Finsters", Mickey and Minnie Santa hat icicle ornaments, and two sets of colorful Mickey icon ornaments.

"Aww, look at this!" She grabbed a red Minnie Mouse holiday sweater when they were in a baby section. "It's so cute, I could die!" She almost squealed.

"Don't die on me, babe," He chuckled, and looked at the sweater after she gave it to him, "That is very cute. She'll look great in this." He held onto it as they kept looking. She then spotted a red "My 1st Christmas" footed baby sleeper with Mickey and Minnie decorating a tree, then a set of 3 with a red and white Mickey and Minnie holiday dress, red and white striped leggings, and a little Santa Hat. "Hey Shen, what about this?" He showed her a red and green plaid Minnie holiday dress with two black velvet bows at the skirt, a Peter Pan collar of the same material and color, and a matching black diaper cover. "With these?" He held up a white Minnie Mouse ears winter hat with matching mittens, all having red and green plaid bows.

"I love those! They're perfect!" She nodded. "I love velvet."

"What else is here?" They looked, but didn't see anything else.

"I don't see anything. Let's go check out." When they passed by another Christmas section, she had an idea. "Hey!" She ran to one of the sections, and took out a set of white long flannel pajamas, with Minnie holiday bows printed all over. "Let's get these for Frankie! She'll love them!"

"Okay," He shrugged with a chuckle, and they walked to the register. "Will you need a wheelchair when we're done here?"

"No," She shook her head with a giggle, "I'm not handicapped."

"Just checking," He shrugged.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, sweetheart," He kissed her head, "I know you were kidding."

"I can't wait 'til our baby wears these. She'll look so adorable."

"Yes she will," He nodded, "But if she's as beautiful as you, which is guaranteed, then she'll look great in anything."

"Aww," She blushed, "Thanks Chuck."

"My pleasure, Shen."

"Hello," The woman kindly greeted them, as they laid their items on the counter, "Expecting parents?"

"Yes ma'am," Shenzi nodded, patting her stomach, "For 6 months now."

"Congratulations! You're having a girl?" She confirmed after seeing the dresses.

"Yep," Chuckie nodded, "We're very excited for her to come. I actually took my wife here when she was only a few weeks along, for her birthday."

"Well, I hope you two have a healthy, happy baby. She ought to look very cute in these." She then picked up the flannel pajamas. "These for a close relative?"

"Yeah, for my stepsister," Shenzi clarified.

"Ah," The woman nodded, "I bet she'll love that you thought of her." She gave them the total, and the couple paid together, then gave them their bag and a receipt. "There you go. Have a magical Christmas!"

"Thanks, you too!" They walked out of the store together with their bag, and walked around the area.

"You getting tired, Shen?" Chuckie asked her.

"A little, but not a lot," She replied, "I'm alright." She peered in the bag, and smiled giddily. "I love Disneyland Christmas."

"Did you want to see the decorations real quick? Just a little glimpse?"

"Sure! Sounds great!" She agreed, and they headed for the entrance. They stopped by the La Brea Bakery, and craned their necks to have a look. "Wow," She breathed in awe, and snapped a picture, "Amazing."

"Oh yeah," He nodded, taking a picture as well, "Let's head back. I bet your family's wondering where we are."

"Alright," She nodded, and they headed out. When they were at the start of the parking lot, she was getting wiped out again. "Um, c-can we rest?" She panted.

"You okay?" He asked her in concern.

"I'm just getting a little sore again."

"Hmm... oh!" He saw a drop-off and pick-up area, and led her to it, letting her support all her weight on him. "Wait right here. I'll drive the car over here, so you don't have to walk anymore than needed."

"'Kay," She nodded, and carefully sat on the concrete with her legs out in front of her, almost straight.

"What kind of drop-off and pick-up area doesn't have a bench?" Chuckie wondered aloud. "Okay, I'll be here in a couple minutes. Don't go anywhere." He kissed her forehead, set the bag next to her, then ran to where he had parked the car. As she waited, Shenzi admired the items they bought together in the bag. Their baby was going to look adorable in her new clothes, and love her Minnie doll, while Frankie was going to love her new pajamas. She and Chuckie agreed to wait until Christmas Eve to give them to her. After a couple minutes, she looked up when the car stopped in front of her, and Chuckie opened the passenger door for her. "Your ride arrives, ma'am." He helped her stand up and step in the car, then grabbed the bag, and entered the car as well, and started driving. "Well, that was fun."

"Yep," She nodded in agreement, feeling relieved in the comfortable seat, "We did really good."

"Yes we did."

l-l

A short time later, Christmas finally came around, and was very close. By this time, the house was festively decked out with decorations from Party City, and a fake tree was adorned with the ornaments the couple bought from Disney, as well as some from Hobby Lobby, and a dark red star topper from Home Depot. There were also some festive cookies and cupcakes made by the whole family in boxes, most already eaten. The Downtown Disney bag was in the nursery, except for Frankie's surprise gift, which was hidden inside the couple's closet. "Yay, it's finally Christmas!" Shenzi cheered with excitement.

"Almost," Chuckie chuckled at her cute enthusiasm, "It's tomorrow, y'know."

"Still! It's so close! Can I help you wrap presents, Chuckie?"

"Sure," He shrugged, "Just be careful with the paper and scissors. Don't want to cut yourself. Also, Mom, Dad, and Kimi will be over here soon, and will stay overnight for the holidays."

"Yay!" In their bedroom, Chuckie took out rolls of festive wrapping paper, a filled tape dispenser, and a pair of scissors. He already had festive gift bows, all in different colors, ready on the bed. "Wait, I'll be right back." She walked into the kitchen, and came back about a minute later with a festive icing decoration, which looked to be taken off of a cupcake, and popped it in her mouth. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Shen, how'd you walk up and down the stairs by yourself?" Chuckie asked her in concern.

"I helped her," Frankie peeked in, shielding her eyes in case there was anything she couldn't see yet, with a cupcake in her free hand, with what looked like an imprint in the thick frosting, same shape as the little treat that her stepsister just ate, "Don't worry, Chuck. She's perfectly fine." She then gingerly closed the door, and headed downstairs. She was staying over at her 2nd childhood home for the holidays, sleeping on an inflatable mattress in the nursery.

"Okay Christmas Mom, let's get started." He took out a present for Kimi, pulled out some paper from the roll, and laid the present on it.

"Can I put on the tape, and the bows?"

"Sure," He agreed, "And you can wrap presents for Frankie and your parents, while I apply the tape and bows."

"Deal." Before long, they were done, so he set the presents under the tree as she laid on the couch, tired from the trip. "They look great," She remarked excitedly.

"Yes they do," He nodded, "Thanks for the help, Shen."

"My pleasure," They shared a kiss, "Can you take me to the bathroom?"

"Sure," He nodded, and helped her up the stairs. When they were a little over halfway up, she let out a grunt. "H-hurry!"

"'Kay!" He hastily went faster, and rushed her to the bathroom, quickly closing the door behind him. After pulling her pants and underwear down for her, he faced the door. "How come you couldn't use your parents' bathroom?"

"It was occupied," She replied.

"Ohh." After she washed her hands, peeking at herself in the mirror, he noticed that she was teary-eyed. "Shen, what's the matter?" He asked her in concern, with one hand on the side of her head. "Why're you crying?"

"I, I'm ugly! I'm fat and hideous!" She wailed, and cried into her hands. "You can do better than me!"

"No you're not, and no I can't!" Chuckie insisted, holding her close the best he could. "Shen, I've told you before, and I'm telling you now: You are the most beautiful pregnant woman on this whole planet! If anything, it's _you_ who can do better than _me!_ I'm the luckiest guy on Earth, because I'm with the prettiest girl on Earth!"

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Th-thanks, Chuckie."

"My pleasure. Now, can you please smile for me? It's Christmas!" She let a smile grow, and a giggle came out. "There it is." They shared a kiss for a few seconds. "Okay, you want to go back downstairs?"

"Umm... I think I want to rest in bed for a little bit."

"Whatever you want, my love," He pecked her lips, then walked out of the bathroom, and helped her lay on their bed. "There you go. You cozy?"

"Mm hmm," She nodded.

"Okay, I'll be downstairs. Text or yell if you need me." He set her phone on her cupcake bedside table, where she could easily reach it.

"I will," She took off her glasses, and went to sleep.

When Chuckie walked downstairs, after giving her another kiss and closing the bedroom door quietly, the doorbell was rung. "Must be my family," He said to himself, and answered the call.

"Ho-ho-ho! We're here, and we're not leaving until the 26th!" Kimi greeted him. She was in a blue reindeer slightly cropped sweater, denim capris, black Converse low-tops with turquoise laces, blue and silver reindeer earrings, spiral Christmas tree earrings in her extra piercings, two festive ponytail bands with pom poms, the right a Christmas tree and the left Santa, and her blue eye shadow.

"Hi, guys! Come in!" Chuckie stepped aside after hugging each of them, and the three walked inside with their baggage. "Shenzi's asleep right now. She's pretty tired from our World of Disney trip."

"What all did you get there?" Kira asked him.

"I'll uh, I'll let her show you guys after she wakes up," He decided, "I think she'd do it better than me," He chuckled, "But we did pretty good. She's really excited."

"I am too!" Kimi agreed. "Where can I put my stuff?"

"You guys don't mind sleeping in the living room, do you?" Chuckie asked them.

"Not at all," Chaz shook his head.

"Okay uh, Kimi, you can sleep on the couch, as long as you don't snoop into your presents. Mom, Dad, you guys can sleep on the floor, if that's alright. I'm sure Shenzi's folks have extra mattresses."

"Sounds good," Kira agreed, "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart. I know you'll be as amazing a father as you are a husband."

"Thanks, Mom," They shared a firm embrace, "She's going to be my little princess. Heck, she already is."

"I felt the same way about Kimi," Chaz chimed in, "And I still do. This must be how Hiro feels."

Soon, they were all settled in, and were currently relaxing. Chuckie looked at his phone when "Accidentally in Love" played, and saw he received a text from Shenzi. "What'd Shen say?" Kimi asked him.

"She's ready to come downstairs, but has to use the bathroom first," He hastily stood up, "Be right back." He rushed up the stairs, and after a few minutes, he came down with his still groggy wife.

"Hi guys," She yawned, and sidled up to her husband after sitting next to him.

"Hey, sweetie," Kira greeted her, "How's the baby?"

"She seems calm," Shenzi replied, "A couple months ago, she started kicking. Sorry we never spoke up; It was pretty late at night, when I couldn't sleep." Just then, she felt bumping in her stomach. "Oh! Here she goes again! Come on, hurry!" The family took turns feeling the kicks through her maternity shirt.

"Wow," Felicia breathed in awe.

"Amazing," Kimi agreed.

"It hurts a little, though. Ugh, imagine how bad labor will be."

"You're fine," Friar Tuck assured her, "You'll be alright. I'm proud of you, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead.

"Thanks, Daddy." They shared an embrace, as he felt the kicking. "I remember the first time Chuckie and I felt it."

"Here's how it went..." Chuckie started telling the story.

l-l

 **Chuckie's POV**

 _Life is great, isn't it? I'm married to the most amazing girl who ever graced this cruel planet, and we have a baby on the way! She's only a couple months along at the moment, but she's already getting easily worn out. Regardless, we're both very excited for our little miracle to arrive, no matter the gender._

 _She was laying on the bed, while I sat on the floor close by, when it happened. We were watching TV together, unable to sleep, when she let out a little grunt. "Oh! Chuckie, I feel something!"_

 _"What?" I hastily stood up, and laid my hands on her growing stomach. And after only a second, I felt it too._ _"Chuck, our baby is kicking. He or she is moving."_

 _"Ohh!" I felt it again. "Wow."_

 _"Amazing, huh?"_

 _"Yep," I kissed her soft lips, "Sure is."_

l-l

 **No POV**

"And that's how it happened."

Shenzi then turned to her in-laws. "Hey, you guys want to see our decorations? It's about time to turn them on."

"Sure!" Kimi agreed.

"Sounds great!" Kira added.

"I want to see!" Chaz stood up.

"Come on!" Chuckie helped his wife stand up, then led everyone outside to the front of the house on the sidewalk, avoiding the street.

"Dad, can you turn them on when I say 3?" Shenzi requested.

"Sure thing." He walked to the power strip, which was off the ground, on a side of the house, and shielded with a hinged glass lid against the elements.

"Okay, 1... 2... _3!_ " He turned them on at her cue, and the Finsters were blown away.

"Wow!" Kimi exclaimed.

"Whoa!" Chuckie's eyes lit up. This was the first time he saw the decorations in action.

"It's beautiful!" Kira complimented.

"It's incredible!" Chaz agreed with her.

The roof, windows, and doors were lined with multi-colored lights, while the front side was dazzled with 3 different projections: One of a multi-colored star shower, one with red gingerbread men and candy canes, blue rectangular peppermints, and green round peppermints, and the last with blue snowflakes, and words reading "Let It Snow", and white snowflakes and snowmen. The lawn was adorned with a reindeer that moved its neck up and down, and 3 different cone trees, all lit up. The front door had a wreath with fake pinecones and white lights.

"Wow," Chuckie shook his head, "It's amazing. Shen, you guys really know how to decorate."

"Thanks," She giggled, "And thank God we all have thick curtains in our rooms." She shared a laugh with her family at that. "Okay, let's go inside. I need to rest my feet." Everyone filed back in the house, and gathered in the living room, sitting in the same places as before.

"The inside is decorated very nicely too," Kimi remarked, and Kira and Chaz nodded in agreement.

"Thanks," Frankie turned to them.

The coffee table had a penguin, two white reindeer, two red and white striped mini trees, and two different green trees, all made of tinsel. The kitchen was adorned with a green plaid table cover, Mickey head candy cane lights along the ceiling, candy cane garland along the cupboards, and a red and white snowman apron for baking. The living room overall had Mickey head multi-colored lights, and the tree, while the banister, or the small section, had two different garlands wrapped around it: One pre-lit like a wreath with a bit of fake snow, and one red tinsel.

Before long, it was time for a family tradition: Attend Friar Tuck's church for the Christmas mass. Frankie was in a Betsey Johnson Painted Roses top with a black tee under it for more coverage, black pencil jeans, watermelon pink bow tie ballet flats, a black chiffon headband, and gold double hoop earrings. Kimi was in a pink high-neck skater dress with a button-up v-back, black velvet leggings, a black rayon kimono, black and silver flower earrings, two ponytail bands, and pink combat boots.

"Sis, if you're too tired to go, you can stay here," Frankie informed her stepsister, who was laying on the couch, "Dad will understand."

"Absolutely," He backed her up.

"You sure? I don't want to break the tradition. We've been doing this since before I can remember."

"It's fine, baby," Friar Tuck assured her, "You need your rest, as does my granddaughter."

"Um, i-if it's alright, I'd like to stay with her," Chuckie piped up.

"I'd feel better if you did," His father-in-law agreed with him, "I want her, and my granddaughter safe, and I know with you, they will be."

"You have my word."

"You all have fun," Shenzi spoke up.

"We will," Frankie nodded, "You guys have fun too." Everyone then headed out, leaving the couple alone.

"So um, you like your new pajamas that I got you?" Chuckie asked her after a moment of silence.

"Uh huh," She nodded, "They're so comfortable." She wore red maternity pajama pants with reindeer, snowflakes, candy canes, and gingerbread men all over, and a white drawstring, and a black skeleton maternity t-shirt with the ribcage resembling a Christmas tree, with the skeleton wearing a Santa hat and holding a candy cane, and its heart and the heart in the ribcage connected. She also had black fuzzy socks on her feet to keep them cozy. "You're looking pretty festive yourself." He was in red, white, and green striped pajama pants, and a black "Happy Elfin' Holiday" sweatshirt with white letters and snowflakes, and a green elf silhouette.

"Thanks. I love these pants you got me."

"You're very welcome," She tried to lean up to kiss him, but was too weak in the arms from fatigue, and carrying cargo.

"Here." He leaned down, and kissed her lips. "You don't have to get up."

"How'll I get to bed, then?" She giggled. "And use the bathroom?"

He was silent for a moment, then let out a chuckle. "Smart aleck," He poked her side.

"EEP!" She squeaked. "Don't tickle me while I'm pregnant! Eek! Hehehehehehey!" She burst into giggles, flailing her arms and kicking her legs when he tickled her big stomach with both hands over her shirt. "Stohohohohohop!" He then drew his hands away.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," He laughed, "You want to head up to bed?"

"Yeah," She nodded.

"Alright," He helped her stand up and walk up the stairs, then laid her in their bed. "There you go. You comfy?"

"Yep," She replied, her head almost sinking into her soft pillow, "You coming too?"

"I'll catch up with you. You need more rest than me. Just yell if you need me."

"I will." She then relaxed in the mattress, while staying awake. "Can you wake me up when everyone else comes back? So we can give Frankie her new pjs together."

"Sure thing," Chuckie nodded, "I'll be downstairs." He walked in the living room, grabbed one of the festive sugar cookies, and admired the decorations outside as he ate. His in-laws had a real knack for holiday decorating. He always wanted to decorate his former house with those projectors, but they were too expensive. Not to mention their small power strip was fully occupied with lights wires. After several minutes of him wandering the house, admiring the indoor decorations and letting his cookie digest, he started feeling drowsy. He brushed his teeth, and saw his wife peacefully asleep in the bed. He carefully laid next to her, trying to stay awake, and kissed her cheek. He hoped that they would come back soon, so he could sleep. He ended up drifting off without realizing it, while still wearing his glasses.

He snapped awake when he heard the door open, and the chatter of his family and in-laws, and gently nudged Shenzi's shoulder. "Shen? They're back."

"Oh!" She woke up. "Can you get the pjs?"

"Sure thing," He took them out of the closet, and helped Shenzi stand up, keeping the pajamas between his arm and her back to hide them.

"Anything exciting happen?" Kimi asked them, as Kira and Chaz set their presents from their house under the tree.

"Not really," Chuckie shook his head.

"Hey uh, Frankie?" Shenzi gained her stepsister's attention.

"What's wrong, Shenzi?" She asked her in concern.

"Don't worry, I'm alright. But while Chuckie and I were in Downtown Disney, I got something for you." He gave her the pjs, so she handed them to Frankie.

"Oh, thanks! I love these!" She admired them after untying the ribbon. "Hang on!" She dashed upstairs to her former bedroom, then came back down, wearing her present. "They fit great! Thanks, sis!" She carefully hugged Shenzi.

"My pleasure. When I saw them, I immediately thought of you. Are you wearing them tomorrow for opening presents?"

"You bet!"

l-l

The next morning, the couple woke up bright and cheery. "Yay, it's Christmas!" Shenzi exclaimed, as Chuckie helped her stand up. "After I take a little wee-wee, let's wait for everyone else downstairs!"

After she used the bathroom with his help, they walked downstairs, and sat on the floor by the tree. "Don't open anything yet," Chuckie whispered to her, so he wouldn't wake his family.

"I'll try," She whispered back with a little giggle, "I'm excited."

"I am too."

"What's all the whispering about?" Kimi asked them, rubbing her eyes. She was in one-piece Minnie Mouse hooded MXYZ pajamas with Minnie ears on the hood.

"Sorry, Kimi," Chuckie turned to her, "Shenzi and I are just excited."

"Mind if I join you guys?" Kimi sat next to Chuckie.

"Not at all."

"You guys waiting for the adults?" Frankie came downstairs in her new pjs, along with Santa slipper boots.

"Yep," Shenzi nodded, then felt bumping in her stomach. "Oh! I think our baby is excited for Christmas too." Chuckie, Kimi, and Frankie took turns laying their hands on her stomach to feel the kicking.

"I don't blame you, my little niece," Frankie remarked, "Your aunties Frankie and Kimi are excited too, and so are Mommy and Daddy. Sorry Uncle Bobby and Uncle Tommy couldn't be here; They're celebrating with their parents and siblings. I wonder if you'll get a sibling too?"

"No way," Shenzi shook her head, "Chuck and I agreed that after this, no more kids."

"Ah, okay. That's understandable."

Soon, the soon-to-be grandparents gathered with the expecting parents and their stepsisters in the living room, and it was finally time to open presents. "Here sis, open this one first," Frankie gave her a present that seemed to have the same shape as a shoe box.

"Alrighty then," Shenzi agreed and eagerly tore off the wrapping paper. She then took off the lid, and was surprised at what she saw. "Oh my God!" The box contained black and white striped Cheshire Cat flats, along with a red pack of festive "Hello Beautiful" makeup remover wipes. "How'd you know I wanted these?" She took the items out.

"I heard you tell Mom," She shrugged.

"Well, thanks!" They shared a hug.

The couple also received a pink Minnie Mouse "Baby's 1st Christmas" plush toy, a grey handmade baby onesie with a chibi spade playing card from Alice in Wonderland, a festive outfit consisting a white onesie with a Christmas lights design, red legwarmers, and a festively colored tutu with a red waistband, a Minnie Mouse Christmas headband for the new arrival, a red, white, and green handmade diaper cover with a green bow on the back, two red, white, and green striped baby headbands, one with a red sequin bow, and one with green, an aqua blue "Daddy's Girl" onesie, a Santa onesie with long sleeves and a white tutu, a black ribcage baby t-shirt with two light pink shells on the front, and Mini Melissa Wonderland shoes. Chuckie gave Shenzi two pairs of piped lounge shorts, one with Ariel and one with Alice. She gave him a pair of black slippers with a red plaid top, and a grey faux fur lining.

"Sorry I only gave you the one thing," Shenzi said to him.

"No Shen, you didn't give me only one present."

"I didn't? What else could there be?"

Chuckie took a gift bow from the floor, and gently stuck it to her stomach over her shirt. "Your other present is our baby. She's the best gift I could ever ask for. And soon, she'll be my birthday present too." They shared a kiss, as the rest opened their presents.

The joined family had a wonderful Christmas overall, especially the expecting parents. They couldn't wait to use the new baby clothes on their little angel when she would arrive, and Shenzi was eager to wear her new shoes, and use her new makeup wipes. After having a nice dinner, consisting of goose, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, cookies, and cupcakes (with Shenzi eating more than everyone else), singing Christmas carols, watching holiday specials and movies on TV, and admiring the decorations, everyone went to bed with happy thoughts.

* * *

 **(A/N: Phew! That chapter is done! You know the disclaimer. I decided to combine all 3 of the events together, since they're all short-ish.)**


	18. Holy Matrimony- Again!

**(A/N: I decided to go back to updating this story and "Could It Be?" one at a time, instead of twice in a row. Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 17

* * *

On an afternoon in March at the Tuck house, Shenzi pulled her pale turquoise satin shrug on her shoulders with Chuckie's help, completing her outfit. "There you go, darling." She was in a light pink, strapless maternity dress that reached her knees, black bow faux leather ballet flats, a green-ish turquoise hair extension, two-tone pink full-head extensions that peeked out of her natural hair, a black sash above her stomach, black rose earrings with little green leaves, and her wedding ring. Her shrug had short, slightly puffed sleeves, and a ruffled hem. "You look so beautiful."

"Thanks, Chuckie," They shared a kiss, before she would apply her makeup, "You look very handsome." Like the other groomsmen, he was in a light purple dress shirt, a mint green bow tie, black dress shoes, and a black tuxedo jacket and pants. The bridesmaids were in light pink strapless dresses with a high-low skirt, the same sash, shrug, and earrings as Shenzi, and black bow short pumps. The girls plus Chuckie were currently in the nursery, while the guys were in the couple's room.

"Thanks. You need help with your makeup?" He asked her.

"That'd be great, thanks," She nodded, and handed him the products. There was light purple eye shadow, black eyeliner, and classic red lipstick, just as what the other bridesmaids had. He applied it on her face, then set the products on the vanity.

"How's that?"

She looked in the mirror, and smiled. "Perfect! Thanks, Chuckie."

"My pleasure." She then rubbed her large stomach over her dress. She was now 8 months along.

"I'm ready!" Frankie came out of the dressing stall with excitement. She was in her pastel rainbow wedding dress, which was short and without straps, a white, sheer, short-sleeved bolero, white platform pumps, a white veil that reached her waist, silver trio cluster stud earrings, and a pastel rainbow flower bouquet.

"Wow, Frankie!" Shenzi hugged her. "You look so pretty!"

"Thanks, sis! I'm so ecstatic!"

"Me too!"

"If you girls don't mind, I'm going to check on the guys," Chuckie spoke up.

"Go ahead," Shenzi nodded.

"Yeah, you can go," Frankie added.

"Thanks," He hugged Frankie in congratulations, kissed Shenzi's hair, then headed off. He walked to the men's dressing room, aka his and wife's bedroom, and knocked on the door. "Hello?"

"That you, Chuckie?" Tommy asked him.

"Yep. Can I come in?"

"Sure." He opened the door, and closed it after Chuckie walked in. Roxy was in the room amongst the other guys, waiting for her twin brother to come out.

"Thanks. Is Bobby done yet?"

"Not yet," She shook her head, "He should be out soon."

"Okay boys, I'm ready!" Bobby came out in black tuxedo pants and a matching blazer, a mint green dress shirt, a pastel pink necktie, and light blue dress shoes. Pastel rainbow was the wedding theme, because he and Frankie couldn't decide on anything else.

"Wow, bro, you look great!" Roxy hugged him.

"Thanks, sis!"

"We've sure had a lot of weddings recently," Chuckie remarked with amusement, "First was mine and Shen's, then Tommy and Kimi's, Lil and Harold's in the new year at the beach, and now you guys."

"Yeah," Tommy nodded, "I hope Shenzi doesn't get too tired from standing up for too long."

"Me too. But I don't think the haughty planner you guys hired would allow anything different, such as a comfy chair of the maid of honor."

"I'm too scared to fire him, or go against him, man," Bobby vented a little, "He's freaky! And I'm afraid that Frankie will tick him off somehow, and the whole thing will be ruined."

"I'm sure you'll be alright," Maxie assured him, "He can't be that scary, can he?"

"Hey, you!" The planner, who had an Italian accent, and a George Clooney mustache, burst in and pointed at Roxy.

"Me?"

"Yes, you! Stay with the girls! You all must stay together!"

"Hey, the groom happens to be my brother! I'm just..."

"Go now!"

"Fine," She gave in with a sigh, "Sorry, Bobby. I'll see you out there." She walked out of the dressing room, avoiding eye contact with the haughty man.

"Forget I asked," Maxie whispered to the groom.

l-l

When the ceremony finally began in the nearby chapel, Shenzi and Chuckie were standing next to one another, just as the couple of the hour arranged, in case she would need him. She had her hands on her stomach, as everyone waited for the bride to come. "You still doing okay?" Chuckie asked her.

"Mm hmm," She nodded.

"Good," He kissed her cheek, "Just speak up if you need to rest. Hopefully the uptight planner won't pitch a fit."

"Yeah," She nodded. He told her how the planner had ordered Roxy back to the girls, simply because they supposedly "had to stay together". She found it ridiculous, and wondered why they hired him in the first place, and why he wasn't fired by now.

The wedding went very smoothly, but during the vows, things went south. Shenzi let out a groan when her legs and ankles started hurting. "I will..." Frankie cut herself off upon hearing her, and turned to her in concern. "Shen, are you okay?"

"My, my legs and ankles are aching," She replied.

"Do you need to rest? Can we get a chair out here?"

"No!" The planner protested. "You wait, little girl! Suck it up! This ceremony is more important than your petty pain!" The audience was baffled at his rudeness, especially Felicia and Friar Tuck, who were quite angry.

Frankie's cheeks practically flushed red, as Chuckie had to be held back, before she got in the jerk's face, her tall shoes making this literal. "Listen here, you pompous, swell-headed, Mario wannabe! My baby sister is 8 months pregnant, and if she needs to rest, then I say she can rest! You have no right to protest against that! This is not your wedding, it's _mine!_ You're fired! _Get out!_ " When Fridge came up to him with a menacing glare, he made a run for it down the aisle to who knows where. "Good riddance!" She then turned to her brother-in-law. "Chuckie, you know where I set up the cot, right?"

"Yeah," He nodded, "Come on, Shen."

"You sure you don't mind?" She asked her stepsister. "I'm your maid of honor."

"Absolutely," She assured her, "You're carrying precious cargo there, due in only one month. You need your rest; For yourself, and my little niece. Besides, Bobby and I hired a cameraman to film the whole thing. You can see it afterward with all of us."

"Well, o-okay." After sharing a hug with her, she turned to her husband. "Come on, Chuckie." She groaned in pain as he guided her away, shortly waving to the audience.

In the reception area, which was outdoors, he led her to a cot that was set up, in case she needed it, and helped her lay down on it. "How's that?"

"Much better," She sighed in relief at her legs finally resting, "That guy was a real jerk."

"Yes he was," Chuckie nodded, and stroked her hair, "I don't get why Bobby and Frankie hired him in the first place."

"Me neither." She let out a deep breath as her knees and ankles were still achy.

"You still sore?" He asked her.

"Yeah, a little," She nodded.

"Well, just speak up when you're ready to get up. Take your time."

"'Kay," She agreed, "Although that probably won't be until the reception."

"That's perfectly fine. You rest as long as you need to. At least during the reception, you'll be sitting with everyone else."

"Yeah," She nodded, "It's too bad we can't see the bouquet toss from here."

"Yeah," He chuckled, "Although you don't need to catch a bouquet to get married. We already did that ourselves." He leaned down, and kissed her lips. "And just think: In only a short month, our little girl will be here."

"Yes she will," She nodded, "I'm so excited."

"Me too. Your mom knitted a baby outfit for us to take with us to the hospital during your labor, didn't she?"

"Yep," She nodded, "Should be in the overnight bag."

"Good."

Soon, the reception started, so the couple took their seats. Shenzi's legs and ankles were still a little tender, but she ignored it, considering it was a short walk. There was a very long table with a white tablecloth with flowers and goblets in different pastel colors, a large white drape over the table, and some pastel colored parasols hanging upside down. The food consisted of a three-layered cake with pastel rainbow flowers, different colored macaroons, and different colored cotton candy in white clear goblets. "So, how'd it go?" Shenzi asked Frankie after the latter sat at the end next to her with Bobby.

"It went great," She replied, "I can't wait 'til you see the video."

"Good," She nodded, and ate some blue cotton candy. She also had a slice of cake, and a purple macaroon.

"You feeling better?"

"Yeah," She replied, "I'm still a little sore, but no biggie. But in a short month, it'll all be worth it."

"Absolutely. Didn't Mom knit a little outfit for your baby when she's born?"

"Yeah, she did. It's in our overnight bag."

"You already have an overnight bag? You guys sure plan ahead."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Shenzi snapped.

"S-sorry," Frankie stammered.

"No, I'm sorry," She sighed.

"It's okay, I understand. Mood swings are beyond your control."

"Thanks." "Just remember, sis: You only have a month left. You made it through 8, and you can make it through 1 more. I know it's hard, with your mood swings, wacky cravings, and body aches, but I know you can do it. And if it's what you want, you only have to go through it once."

"Th-thanks, sis."

"Anytime." They ate their macaroons together. "Pretty good, huh?"

"Oh yeah," Shenzi nodded, "Phil truly has a gift. He should cater for his own wedding with Wally."

"Totally," Frankie agreed, "And Bobby watched Phil while he made the drinks, so no extra alcohol at this wedding."

"Good," She giggled, remembering her own husband getting wasted and acting goofy during Tommy and Kimi's wedding reception. She sipped her water out of goblet, trying not to choke from stifling laughter. "Pumpkin bear," She whispered, then snickered with her stepsister.

Chuckie was a little uncomfortable at first, but after remembering how funny it was, he started laughing with them. "You were hilarious, Chuck," Frankie complimented him, "I just wish I had my phone recording."

"To be honest, I wish that too, although Shen told me everything."

"Ah."

l-l

That night, Shenzi and Chuckie laid in bed together, clad in their pajamas. She was in a black lace maternity nightgown, her black and white robe from him, and black cat cozy slippers. He was wearing a black Mario Kart blue shell t-shirt, black Mario Kart 8 characters pajama pants, and a blue plush robe. "Well, today went very good," She remarked, "Despite me getting sore, and the planner being a sorehead."

"Yeah," He chuckled, "I'm glad Frankie fired him. Hopefully she'll write an honest review about him."

"Yep." She let out a yawn. "Okay, let's get some sleep."

"Right," He nodded, turned off the light, and laid back in bed with her after they stripped out of their robes and glasses. "G'night, mommy."

"G'night, daddy," They shared a kiss, then drifted off to sleep. Just before they were out, she voiced both of their thoughts. "I wonder what Frankie and Bobby are up to?"

l-l

In a hotel room in Venice, Italy, Bobby was sitting on the bed in a tuxedo t-shirt, matching boxer shorts, and black and white canvas sneakers. His gold wedding ring was safe on his ring finger. He was waiting for his bride to come out of the bathroom, and she was taking her sweet time.

"I'm ready!" She opened the door, and came out of the bathroom. She was clad all in white, with a swiss dot babydoll top, lace-trim boyshorts, metallic bow Ugg boots, a short satin robe, two bands that held her hair in two short, low ponytails, and silver barbells. She also had a gold wedding ring with a white diamond.

"Whoa," His cheeks flushed red, "Hello, beautiful."

She giggled at his flustered state. "Hello, handsome."

Some time later, the newlyweds gazed out the window and at the city, their hair messy. "Wow," He admired the sights.

"Venice sure is lovely at night," She remarked.

"Yep," He agreed, "But those lights have nothing on the way your eyes brighten when you're happy."

Her cheeks blushed timidly. "Thanks, Bob."

"No prob, Frank."

"Don't call me Frank," She giggled, "That sounds too manly."

"Well, you're like one of the boys. But... sorry."

"It's okay. Let's go to bed, and sleep."

"Alright." They flopped in the bed, and were asleep almost immediately.

They dreamed of life after their niece would be born. They would spoil her rotten, babysit her for her parents, and possibly have kids of their own.

* * *

 **(A/N: And thus, Bobby and Frankie are married! You know the disclaimer. The haughty wedding planner was inspired by the one in the True Jackson, VP episode "The Wedding".)**


	19. Birthday Synchronicities

**(A/N: Big things are happening! Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 18

* * *

On one day in mid April, a heavily pregnant Shenzi, due any day now, was holding her long bangs away from her face and fanning her cheek. "Phew," She puffed, "It's hot."

"Yeah," He nodded, thankful for wearing a tank top, as was she, along with shorts and sandals for both of them. "Um, Shen?" Chuckie sat next to her.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever thought about cutting your bangs?"

"Honestly I have," She admitted, "But I never made an appointment."

"No need for an appointment," He dashed to his sewing machine that he moved into her room, and came walking back with a pair of scissors. "I can do it."

"You?" She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You know about cutting hair?"

"Enough," He shrugged, "This should be a piece of cake. How much do you want trimmed off?"

"Umm... about up to here," She held her index finger about an inch below her eye.

"Alrighty then, close your eyes. Trust me, I know what I'm doing." She closed her large eyes, and stayed calm as she heard the scissors, and felt hair fall onto her stomach. "Okay, done!" She opened her eyes. "Wow, that's great!" He grabbed a handheld mirror, and gave it to her. "What do you think?"

She looked in the mirror, and smiled. She looked more mature, yet her eye was hidden just as how she was used to. "It's perfect. Thanks!" She kissed his lips.

"My pleasure," He pecked her cheek, which was now exposed, "Much easier to do that without your hair tickling my nose." They shared a laugh at that.

"Well, it looks amazing. You're good at cutting hair."

"Thanks, Shen. That look really suits you."

"My pleasure, and thanks. Now um, can you please take me to the bathroom?"

That night, Chuckie and Shenzi climbed into bed. She was wearing her new black maternity pajamas with pink lace trimming under the bust and on the hemline, Victoria's Secret pink and black ankle socks, black barbells, and her ring. A pair of black Converse dance lace shoes was at her side of the bed, just in case of an emergency. He was in blue striped pajama pants, a black "Best Dad in the Galaxy" t-shirt in a Star Wars intro style in the words, and his ring. He had classic Converse low-tops handy for emergencies. "The overnight bag is still ready to go?"

"Yep," He nodded, "Just like the last 3 nights you asked," He chuckled.

"Just checking," Shenzi shrugged.

"I know, I was kidding."

"It's fine," She assured him, then let out a yawn, rubbing her eyes with one hand, while the other one was on her large stomach. "Okay, well, g'night Chuckie."

"G'night, Shenzi," They shared a kiss, "If you feel anything funny, just wake me up."

"Alright," She nodded, and they fell asleep together.

He snapped awake when he heard her grunting a little. "What's wrong?"

"She's kicking again," She replied, "She doesn't want me to sleep."

"Here, let me try something." Chuckie sat up, and rubbed her stomach with one hand, his face at her side. "It's okay, baby. Mommy needs to sleep right now." To her surprise, the kicking began to cease, before it stopped immediately. "How's that?"

"It actually worked," She turned to him with a smile, "Thanks."

"My pleasure," He kissed her cheek, "Now you can sleep all you want."

"Yeah." With a peaceful sigh, she was out, as was he.

A few hours later after 10 PM, she snapped awake when she suddenly felt liquid in her pants. "What the-?" She was about to check when she felt the pain she was not prepared for. "Oh God. Oh my God! The baby! She's coming!" She turned to her sleeping husband. "Chuckie! Chuckie, wake up! Chuckie! I'm in labor!" He didn't move. "Chuck!" She yelled, but he only stirred. "Hey!" Nothing. She puffed in exasperation, then leaned to his face. " _CHUCKIE!_ " She screamed. He shot up in surprise, so their foreheads clonked together. "Ow!"

"Wha- ow!" She glared menacingly at him, with her hand on her forehead. "Shenzi, what's wrong?"

"Chuckie, the baby is coming!" She exclaimed.

"Ohh." He laid down to sleep some more, so she gave him a look of annoyance. Then to her relief, he shot up again. "Wait, what?! What?! Come on! We've gotta get to the hospital, quick!" He grabbed their phones and overnight bag, then guided her down the stairs as her breathing started becoming heavy from the pain. "Just take deep breaths, Shen. There you go, darling. Good girl." Accidentally forgetting about her parents, he sat her in the passenger seat, and started driving at full speed. At an unfortunate red light, he took out his phone, selected their home, and waited.

In the master bedroom, Friar Tuck snapped awake when the phone suddenly rang, with Felicia staying asleep through the ringing, so he answered it. "Hello?"

"THE BABY'S COMING!" Chuckie suddenly screamed, making him hold the phone away from his ear. "Meet us at the hospital; Frankie too!" He then hung up.

"Oh my God!" He hastily woke up his wife. "Felicia, our granddaughter's coming!"

"WHAT?!" She shot up, then they dashed out to the car to grab Frankie. She took out her phone, and selected her oldest daughter's number.

"Hello?" She answered groggily.

"Frankie, it's Mom! Your niece is coming!"

"Wait, what?!"

"We're coming to pick you up! Be ready when we get there! Bobby can come too, if he's ready!" She then hung up, and took shaky breaths with her hands in her hair. "Oh, I can't believe this is happening."

"Me neither. Our family is growing."

"Yep."

After grabbing Frankie, who was in sushi PJs of bright green boxers and a salmon pink tank top, with a lime green matching hoodie sloppily thrown on in her hurry, white socks, silver barbells, classic Converse low-tops, her wedding ring, and with her hair messy from sleep, they made a hasty beeline for the hospital.

The couple were in the delivery room, as Shenzi groaned and breathed heavily from the pain of childbirth. "Did... did you... bring ice chips?"

"Yes I did," He nodded, and hastily grabbed the container.

"F-feed me?"

"Sure," He gently stuck one ice chip in her mouth, and she let it melt. She groaned with her mouth clenched shut, as well as her eyes. "It's okay, baby girl," He rubbed her shoulder, "Just breathe. You can do this. I know you can." He kissed her head. "You're alright." She let out a yell at the agony, so his heart swelled with sympathy. Just then, he received a text message from Frankie. "Your family's in the waiting room. I'll go tell them how you're doing."

"O-okay!"

He quickly walked to the waiting room after a nurse took over. "Hey, guys."

"How's she doing?" Frankie stood up with her husband.

"She's making progress," He replied, "But the baby's not out yet. I'll go check on her." He ran back to the delivery room, where the nurse was helping her. "How's she doing?" He repeated his sister-in-law's question.

"The baby's still not quite out yet," The nurse replied, "Her contractions are about 3 minutes apart."

"3?!" His eyes widened. "Oh my God."

"Why don't you wait in the waiting room, sir? This won't be a pretty sight. Don't worry, your wife is in good hands."

"Well, a-alright."

"Wait, Chuckie!" Shenzi's strained voice made him stop.

"Yeah?"

"C-can you get my mom, please?"

"Sure," He nodded, and headed back to the waiting room. "I need to wait in here. But Felicia, Shenzi wants you."

"Oh!" She stood up, and ran in the room. "Shen!" She sat next to her after the nurse allowed her to do so. "How're you doing, honey?"

"It, it hurts so much, Mom!"

"I know it does, baby, but I know you can make it through. Compared to saving Chuckie from a criminal, almost falling off a window washer's platform, and dealing with a nasty, tickling pervert, this is minor." The nurse raised an eyebrow in confusion at the stuff she listed off. "What?"

"N-nothing."

Felicia turned back to her youngest daughter. "Just breathe, sweetie. Deep breaths." Shenzi let out a scream of pain.

In the waiting room, Chuckie was hanging up after calling Kimi and their parents, when he almost threw up at hearing his wife in so much agony. "I can't believe this is happening," His hands were in his bangs.

"Me neither," Bobby shook his head, "I had a feeling you guys would have a kid first, but still, that doesn't cushion the blow."

"I wonder what she'll look like?" Frankie wondered aloud.

"I know she'll be as beautiful as her mommy," Chuckie replied, "And I bet she'll have my freckles."

"That'd be adorable," Frankie giggled, but was cut off by another scream from the delivery room, heard faintly from where they were. "Man, she sounds bad. Should we check on her?"

"I think it's best that we stay here, and wait it out," Friar Tuck said to her, "We don't want to overwhelm her."

"I wish I could've stayed in there, though," Chuckie rested his cheek in one hand, with his elbow on his knee, "I'm the baby's father."

"You don't have to worry," His father-in-law laid a hand on his shoulder, "My wife is taking good care of her. She knows what to do."

"EyaAAAA!" Shenzi screamed again, squeezing the life out of Felicia's hand.

"You're okay, sweetie! You're okay! Just push as hard as you can!"

"I, I can't! It hurts too much!"

"Yes you can! It'll be over before you know it!"

"She's coming, Mrs. Finster!" The nurse announced. "I see her! Keep going!" Shenzi let out another shriek, as Felicia lost all feeling in her hand.

"Oh man," Chuckie hid his face, "She must be getting close." Another scream was heard, now much more clear, as if she was in the next room, before there was dead silence. "Oh God. Oh my God." He went to run in, but Friar Tuck stopped him.

"It's alright, wait here!"

"I can't! She could be dead! Both of them!"

"We're here!" Kimi dashed in with Chaz, Kira, and Tommy close behind.

"Wait! Shh!" Frankie heard faint crying. "As far as I know, the baby's not dead. Oh, I hope Shenzi's alright."

Just then, Felicia came rushing in, one hand hanging limp. "She's here!" The relatives scrambled to run after her to the delivery room, where Shenzi was panting, with sweat on her forehead, and her cheeks flushed. On the way, they heard the first wails of the newborn infant. "Here!" She gave Chuckie the special scissors, and he carefully cut the umbilical cord.

"How are they?" He asked the nurse.

"Your baby girl seems perfectly healthy," She replied over the cries, then turned to an exhausted Shenzi, "Mrs. Finster, do you want to hold her?"

"I... I can't right now," She panted, "I'm too achy."

"May I?" He asked the nurse.

"You're the father?"

"Yes ma'am," He nodded.

"Then you certainly can," She gave the crying baby to him, and he was almost overwhelmed upon seeing her face, surrounded by the pink blanket. "Oh my God," He breathed out in awe, then sat next to his wife, "Shen, she's beautiful." The baby had peach colored skin like daddy, but with a slight grey tint, his freckles, and what looked like dark red hair. Although her nose was like mommy's.

"She is," Shenzi's voice cracked, as teals pooled up in her eyes, and fell down her cheeks.

"You're making me cry, Shen," He chuckled through his own tears. He sniffled and blinked the last few tears away. "How're you doing, darling?"

"I'm still pretty sore," She replied quietly, "Exhausted."

"That's understandable," He kissed her hair, "But it's over. All the 9 months are over. You made it through all of them. I'm so proud of you." They shared a kiss.

"We're all proud of you, baby," Felicia came up to her other side, and saw the baby. "Wow. She's lovely." Everyone else took turns seeing her.

"What's her name?" Kimi asked them.

The couple glanced at each other, then turned to Friar Tuck. "We decided to name her Maya," Shenzi replied. He let an emotional smile grow, and he hugged his daughter. "That's a wonderful name."

"Thanks, Daddy."

"Does she have a middle name?" Tommy asked them.

"Well... yeah, she does," Chuckie nodded, and turned to Chaz, "We decided on Melinda." They shared an emotional embrace, Chuckie being careful of the baby. "We couldn't decide which one to use for her first name, so we decided to use one in a middle name."

"It's perfect, son. I bet Melinda is very proud of you."

"As is Maya," Friar Tuck said to Shenzi.

After a few minutes, Chuckie was back at his wife's side, as she was not as exhausted as before. She looked very small in the hospital gown and robe she wore, the latter for extra warmth. "Chuckie?"

"Yes?" He smiled lovingly at her.

She nodded towards the calendar in the room. "Happy birthday."

He looked at the calendar, and saw that the day marked was the 15th of April. He turned back to her, now more emotional. "Thanks, sweetheart." He glanced at the now quiet baby, still bundled up in the blanket. "She's the best present anyone could ask for." She laid on his shoulder. "You rested enough to hold her?"

"Mm hmm," She nodded, and he carefully set Maya in her arms. "Hi baby," She whispered, "I love you." She kissed her little forehead, as Chuckie stroked her dark red hair.

"She really is as beautiful as her mother," Friar Tuck remarked.

"I can't believe it," Chuckie shook his head, "Shen, it feels like we're in middle school again, after we crashed into each other after 9 years of separation. Has it really been 8 years?"

"I know," She agreed, "It's baffling."

The nurse suddenly had to take Maya to another room, and gently took the baby out of her arms, "This won't take long, I promise." She headed out of the delivery room.

Shenzi rested her head back on Chuckie's shoulder, and held onto his upper arm. "Don't worry, Shen. She'll be just fine."

"I, I know." She groaned a little, and her eyes squeezed shut when a small shot of pain pulsed through her body.

"Still sore?"

"Mm hmm," She nodded, "I'm glad it's over, but it was all worth it. I can't wait to take her home."

"Me neither," Chuckie agreed, "She ought to be very cozy in that crib. Good thing we bought pillows recently."

"Yep."

After a half hour had passed since the nurse left, while the couple signed the birth certificate, she came back in the room, wheeling the cart with the baby in front of her. "Maya is in perfect health. Her weight is 5 ¼ pounds. You should be able to take her home when you're ready." It was almost 3 AM, and everyone was feeling fatigued.

"Yay," Shenzi smiled weakly.

"We've had a mermaid nursery ready for a while," Chuckie informed the nurse.

"A mermaid theme? Nice! Do you have a little outfit ready for her?"

"Yes ma'am," Chuckie reached into the overnight bag, and took out the outfit Felicia knitted. There was a black and pink dress with a rose at the skirt, matching ballerina shoes with pink shoes, and a matching beanie hat. "Right here."

"Aww, how beautiful!"

"My mom knitted them herself," Shenzi turned to Felicia.

"You've got a real gift, ma'am."

"Thank you," She nodded.

"Mrs. Finster, before you take Maya home, do you want to try breast-feeding?" The nurse asked Shenzi.

"Um, y-yeah," She replied after glancing at the guests.

"We'll leave you guys alone, for some privacy," Kimi stood up with everyone else, and headed for the living room with Tommy, Chaz, Kira, Frankie, Felicia, and Friar Tuck.

"Chuckie? You coming?" Tommy turned to him.

"Nice try," He chuckled, and came up to the group, to talk quietly to them. "I made that baby with her the natural way. I've seen way more than that." They all stifled laughter, then agreed to let him stay after she allowed him to, and left them be.

"You naughty skunk," Felicia whispered to him with a giggle.

"This naughty skunk just provided you your first grandchild," He chuckled, before she left. He then sat next to his wife. "You sure you don't mind me staying?"

"Of course not," She shook her head, "You're the father, aren't you? But if you stare, I'll have the nurse kick you out."

"Deal," He laughed with her. "Um, our friends saw Maya in the baby ward."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah," He nodded, "They think she's beautiful."

"Even Angelica and Sean?"

"Yep," He chuckled. Soon, Shenzi learned how breast-feeding worked, and Chuckie didn't stare, so he stayed the whole time. He had his head on her shoulder with his eyes closed in bliss, and one hand on Maya's back. After she finished, he sat up straight, so she pulled her hospital gown back up. They then proceeded to change her into Felicia's outfit, being very careful. "So?"

"Adorable," She giggled, "Mom did great."

"That she did. Um, are you ready to check out?"

"Yeah," She nodded, "This bed isn't too bad, but I miss mine at home."

"I understand. I'll call the nurse." He pressed the button, then kissed Shenzi's cheek. "I know I said this before, but I'm very proud of you. You made it through 9 months, and the pain of childbirth. You're a warrior." They shared a kiss.

"You're a warrior too, Chuckie. You made it through my weird cravings, crazy mood swings, and constant griping about my aches."

"Now Shen, the cravings and mood swings were against your will, and I was happy to answer your requests. The pickle juice with ice cream was pretty wacky, though," He chuckled with her, "But you had every right to be annoyed by your legs aching. I would've gone in a wheelchair for the whole time if I was the pregnant one. You're the strong one."

"Thanks, Chuck." They shared a careful embrace, "That means a lot to me."

"My pleasure, sweetie," They kissed for a second.

"Hello, Mrs. Finster," The nurse greeted her, "What can I do for you?"

"She's ready to check out, and bring Maya home," Chuckie answered.

"Alright," She nodded, "I'll get a wheelchair for you real quick, honey."

"Thanks."

"My pleasure." She then left to get one.

"Just so you know, Shen, my folks gave me my old baby monitor," Chuckie informed her, "So we wouldn't have to worry about buying one."

"Oh good," She sighed in relief, "Truthfully, I was a little worried about that." After only a minute, the nurse came back with a wheelchair. "Thanks." She carefully sat down, still feeling pain.

"Anytime, Mrs. Finster. Your family and friends are in the waiting room."

"Okay sweetie, let's go out there," He started pushing the wheelchair out to the living room, as she held Maya in the blanket, which the nurse let her keep. "Alright everyone, we're heading home. Thanks for coming."

"It was our pleasure," Frankie stood up, "Hey uh, Shen? I didn't notice this before; Did you do something different with your hair?"

"Uh huh," She nodded, "Chuckie trimmed my bangs this afternoon."

"Chuckie did?" Kimi was surprised at that. "Wow bro, you did good! She looks great!" The others chimed in with compliments to both of them.

"Thanks, guys. Let's all get home; We need to sleep. Especially the new mamma." He kissed the back of Shenzi's head.

That night, Chuckie waited as he sat cross-legged on the bed, facing the wall that the bed was perpendicular to. He was in his same pajama pants, but had to change out of his sweaty t-shirt. The one he wore now was white with "stud" in small, black letters associated with a picture of a cartoon muffin, so it technically said "stud muffin". He also had white Nike socks on his feet. "Can I look yet?"

"Just one sec," She replied, then was done, "Okay, now." He turned, and smiled upon seeing her. "I missed wearing pajamas like these." She was in black sleep shorts, zebra striped slipper boots with pink fur lining, and a black babydoll top with sheer fabric under the bust and pink ruffles. She also had her black and white maternity robe, which she decided to keep. She looked down at her much smaller stomach, which still showed remains of her time of pregnancy with a bit of fat and stretch marks, and sighed. "I'll be doing crunches for a while," She sat on the bed, feeling relieved at having no pressure on her back.

"Shen, you're perfect," He kissed her cheek.

"But I still want to look good in my crop tops and swimsuits."

"Well um, y-you do whatever you want. I don't want to stop you. But you'll always be beautiful to me."

"Thanks, Chuckie," She leaned on his chest, and straddled his hips with her shins and knees, feeling relieved at being this close to him again with no trouble. They leaned in for a kiss, when they heard crying from the nursery. "Oh boy."

"Here, I'll take this shift," He shifted her onto the bed, and stood up, "You just get to sleep, mamma." He kissed her lips, then walked into the nursery, where little Maya was wailing. "Shhh," He picked her up, and started rocking her, "It's okay, baby, it's okay. Daddy's here, beautiful. I'm here." When her crying didn't cease, he felt helpless. What could he do? He then spotted the soother, and had an idea. "Okay, uh," He set her in the crib, as her arms flailed a little, and her legs kicked, and he turned the soother on. The calm melody and ocean sounds started playing, as the animals started moving around, and a blue light illuminated the ocean, although it was not too bright. "Maya, look!" He pointed to it. "Pretty lights and music! Cute animals! Huh?" She was finally quiet, as she stared at the lights and animals. "Pretty neat, huh?" To his relief, she started getting sleepy. "G'night, my little mermaid," He gently kissed her head, "I love you." He quietly walked out, and back in his bedroom, where Shenzi was peacefully asleep.

When he laid in front of her, she blinked her eyes open. "I heard you turned that soother on," She whispered groggily.

"Yeah," He nodded, "It seems to be working. She was getting sleepy before I left."

"Good." They shared a kiss. "Good job, Daddy."

"Thanks," He cupped her blushing cheek, "Let's get some sleep."

"'Kay," She nodded, and shifted into his arms, "I missed this."

"Me too, my love," He kissed her soft hair, "G'night."

"'Night," She yawned, then was out with her head on his shoulder.

Chuckie held her closer, and laid his head on hers, carefully. "I love both of my girls," He whispered before drifting off.

* * *

 **(A/N: Well, there you have it! Maya Melinda Finster is out in the world! You know the disclaimer. Shenzi's new bangs were inspired by Lucy Loud from "The Loud House". Good show so far!)**


	20. Baby Blues

**(A/N: Shenzi and Chuckie's life with their new baby has begun. Enjoy)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 19

* * *

"Hold still, Maya, please!" Chuckie faintly heard Shenzi's voice from upstairs, along with the baby's fussing, as he made some breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes with bacon on the side for both of them. "That's it. Alright, there we go. Come on, I've gotta go eat breakfast with Daddy." He smiled at that. He was eager to have breakfast with both of his girls. "Hi," She came down with the baby in her arms, looking tired and disheveled from lack of sleep after she fed Maya the natural way. She was wearing a simple black tank top, blue flower lounge shorts, black mustache stud earrings, and black Disney bow ugg boots. Chuckie was in blue denim jeans, classic Converse low-tops, and a purple t-shirt with 3 penguins wearing sunglasses on the front.

"Hey, beautiful," They shared a kiss, "Maya looks cozy." The baby was in snap front one-piece footsie pajamas with Minnie Mouse heads on the feet, a matching embroidered design near the collar, and white, grey, and two different shades of pink.

"I'm glad," She put her on the ocean themed play gym they had set up in the living room nearby, then came back in the kitchen. Both Felicia and Friar Tuck were at work, so it was just the 3 of them. "I'm starving; What'd you make?"

"Well, I hope you like chocolate chip pancakes with bacon on the side," He sat her down at the table.

"Ooh, yummy!" She rubbed her hands together, and dug in after he sat with her. "These are great!"

"Thanks," He glanced at Maya, who was laying in the play gym, "I can't wait 'til she's able to eat with us."

"Me too," She agreed, "But breast-feeding at the table might be too awkward. Plus I wouldn't be able to eat at the same time."

"True. Well, the time will come. It's already been a month and a half since she was born. Soon, she'll need to start drinking out of a bottle."

"Yep," She nodded, "That won't be easy."

"Nope. Life with a baby is never easy."

"Nope." They ate in silence, as Maya reached up to the dangling toys on the play gym. "Um, Sh-Shen?" He hesitated.

"Yeah?" She looked at him, eating a slice of bacon.

"Um... this, this is hard to say, but... I think at least one of us needs to get a real job, to support each other and Maya. And..." He sighed, "I haven't found anything open here."

"G-go on," She urged him, as she continued eating.

"Well, the thing is... I think we should move out of the state," He made himself say it.

She spit out her bacon in shock. "Move out of California?!"

"I know it's sudden, but both of my jobs put together aren't enough to support both of you girls. And I don't want both of us to be busy."

"But what about our friends and families? Won't they miss us, and we miss them?"

"That's guaranteed to happen, but they'll understand. They know we have to earn more money for our baby. Plus we can call, text, and use Facetime or Skype."

"Where will we go?"

"Hmm, well... I did hear that the HQ for a certain clothing line known as Tripp NYC is in New Jersey, and that there are job openings."

"Tripp NYC?" Her eyes widened. "Wow! That'd be great! I've always wanted to work for them!"

"It won't be for a couple years, but it's settled then?"

"Y-yeah," She nodded, "We'll tell everyone once we find a good apartment complex near the HQ."

"Good idea."

l-l

"WAHHH!" Maya's wailing rang throughout the house, as her mommy and daddy slumped on the table, now feeling stressed out with their heads in their hands.

"I think it's your turn to see what she needs," Chuckie muttered.

She gave him a glare with narrowed eyes. "Nice try, buster. I fed her about a half hour ago."

"Fine," He sighed, then headed for the staircase, "Be right back."

After he was out of earshot, Shenzi started crying softly. She hated arguing with him like this. She didn't like it at all. She loves him, he loves her, and they both love Maya. Why couldn't they be happy all the time?

In the nursery, as he changed Maya's diaper, Chuckie regretted his behavior towards his one and only. He was being childish, because he didn't know the pain and stress she went through during her pregnancy. He was such an idiot; If this kept up, she just might want a divorce. And that couldn't happen! He loved her and Maya with everything in him! After he finished, he walked back downstairs, and to the kitchen. "Shen, I..." He stopped when he saw her crying. He rushed over, and laid his hands on her shoulders after sitting next to her. "Shenzi, what's wrong?"

"I... I'm sorry I've been fighting with you," She sniffled.

"I should be the sorry one," He stroked her hair, "I've been the one acting like a childish moron, not you. I... I just don't want you to leave me."

"I'll never leave you," She hugged him tightly, "Not until the day I die."

"Ditto," He hugged her back, "I'll try to be less stupid, I promise."

"Thanks, Chuck, but you haven't been stupid."

"My pleasure. Now um, why don't we go play with our daughter?"

"Sounds good," She giggled, and they walked to the living room, and knelt down at the play gym. "Hi, Maya!" She cooed.

Chuckie moved one of the dangling toys back and forth. "Hey, cutie!" Maya giggled and reached up to grab it.

A few minutes later, Shenzi put the baby in her crib for a nap after soothing her to sleep, then rejoined her husband. "Chuckie, can you keep an eye on the house? My parents are still at work, having to fill in for lazy co-workers, and I'm going to pick up takeout for us." She stood up, but he hastily stopped her.

"Wait! Wait, wait!" He laid his hands on her shoulders. "Let me get the food. You just rest. You need it."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. I'll be fine. What do you want to eat?"

"Umm... fries and nuggets from McDonald's, please?"

"You've got it," He poked her nose, and she giggled, "I'll be back in a jiff. I love you, and our little princess." He kissed her lips.

"We love you too, baby." She rubbed her nose on his.

"Okay, bye."

"Bye." He then left to head for town. She flopped on the couch, and turned the TV on, keeping the volume low for Maya's sake. She sighed dreamily as she thought of Chuckie. He was the greatest husband anyone could ask for. And she was very positive that he'd be the greatest father in the future, like he is now. She flinched when her phone rang, but her heart calmed down when she saw it was Friar Tuck's workplace, and eagerly answered. "Hello?"

"Hey sweetheart," He greeted her, "How's your day been?"

"It's been fine," She replied, "Chuckie and I had a wee bit of a squabble this afternoon, but we're over it. We're good."

"That's good. How's my little granddaughter?"

"She's napping right now. Chuckie's getting takeout for dinner."

"Sounds good. Wait, you're by yourself?"

"I'm alright, Dad. I'm not pregnant anymore. Plus I can call Frankie or any of my friends if I need anything."

"Well, if you're really sure. I just want you safe."

"I understand." She glanced at the window upon seeing headlights. "Oh, Chuckie's back."

"Alright, I'll let you go."

"Okay. I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, baby."

"Bye." She hung up, then opened the door for her husband. "Hey!"

"Hi," He walked in, as she closed the door, "Anything happen while I was gone?"

"Nah," She shook her head, "Dad called before you came back."

"Ah," He nodded, and they began eating. "Maya's still napping?"

"Yeah," She replied, "She's been sleeping the whole time since I put her down."

"Good. I'll try to do more around here from now on."

"But you already do so much."

"Well, still. I feel like I don't do enough. You carried her for 9 months, so you need to rest more than me."

She sighed in defeat, then smiled at him. "I really appreciate it, Chuckie. Thanks." They shared a short kiss.

"Mm, nuggets," He smirked, and they laughed together.

"How's your burger?"

"It's good," He replied, "What about your fries?"

"Great," She replied. After she ate one, they heard Maya crying upstairs. "I got it." She walked up the stairs before he could protest. "What's the matter, baby girl?" She cooed after picking her up. "Are you hungry?" She lowered her tank top, feeling thankful that it was a scoop neck with semi-loose straps, and she started sucking. "There you go, sweetie." She sat in the new rocking chair, and waited for her to finish. "Take your time." She heard Chuckie finish his food, and throw out the takeout bag, and hoped he would leave her fries on the table.

After a few minutes, Chuckie came up, and saw his wife in the chair. "Hi," He whispered to her.

"Hey," She whispered back, "How long have I been up here?"

"Just a few minutes." He stroked Maya's hair. "She hungry?"

"Mm hmm," She nodded, "She sure tugs."

"Ah. Well um, your fries are still on the table for when you're done."

"Good," She giggled carefully, "I can warm them up in the microwave if I need to."

"Yeah." He kissed Shenzi's forehead. "Just come back down when Maya's full, and asleep. We can then discuss when we'll break the news of us moving to our friends and families."

"'Kay." After a few minutes, Maya had fallen asleep in her mommy's arms after releasing her firm bite. Shenzi carefully stood up, and laid her in her crib. "There you go, baby." She gently kissed her cheek. She then quietly walked downstairs and in the kitchen, where her husband and fries were waiting. After heating them up, she started eating. "Okay, so um..." She tried to think of a way to start the discussion.

"Well, I think we should call everyone when they're not busy with their jobs, then tell them everything."

"I hope it goes well."

"Me too, Shen. It'll be hard being away from everyone we know, but we need to support one another, and our child."

"Are you going to get a job?"

"Ummm, maybe, if we find a good babysitter, or if you get days off. Whichever comes first."

"I hope it's the latter. I don't want to sound selfish, but I want Maya to have her firsts with us, not some snotty teenager out for a quick buck."

"I agree. If you can't get any off days, then I'll be a stay-at-home dad."

"Thanks, Chuckie. I'd really appreciate that."

"Anytime." They shared a kiss. "And... at least in New Jersey, we'll have snow more often. We'll have more white Christmases."

"That is true," She nodded, "Snow is beautiful."

"Yeah, until you have to drive in it," He chuckled, making her giggle, "And uh... if they can make it, we can have our friends and families over for the holidays. Plus we can talk through Facetime or Skype, considering I have Facetime on my iPad. They can still see Maya grow up even from miles and miles away."

"That sounds wonderful."

They spent so much time talking about the positives of living in New Jersey, that they lost track of time. "Whoa, is it almost 11 already? Let's head up to bed."

"'Kay," She yawned, "I'm getting tired. I'll check Maya's diaper before..."

"No, no, no, I'll do it. You go ahead and get to sleep."

"Well, alright, if you're sure."

"I'm sure," He kissed her cheek, "I'll be right there."

"Okay." She headed for the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Meanwhile, Chuckie walked into the nursery, where Maya was awake but calm. "Hey, little Mayflower." He gave her that nickname a few days after she was born, and he and Shenzi loved it so much, that it stuck. "Do you need your...?" He was cut off by a familiar, disgusting sound. "I'll take that as a yes," He chuckled, and lifted her out of the crib. Once she was cleaned up with a fresh diaper, she was back in, so he turned the ocean soother on. "There you go, my little mermaid." He kissed her forehead. "G'night. Daddy loves you, and Mommy loves you too." He glanced around the room and sighed, feeling uneasy at having to leave it so soon. All that work the guys went through, only for it to be vacant? It wasn't fair, but the couple needed to financially support each other, and their child. It was for the best. He decided that they should take the crib with them at least, so it would stay familiar to Maya, and the toys of course. Basically, they would bring everything except the walls and floors. The decal would have to stay as well. He walked into the bedroom, where Shenzi was laying on the bed, looking tired yet was awake. "Can't sleep?" He asked her.

"N-no," She shook her head, "It's just hard imagining life without our friends and families."

"I know, Shen," He laid a hand on her head, and ran his thumb on her bangs, "But... it's for the best."

"I'd hate to leave the nursery after the guys worked so hard on it."

"Me too. But... at least now, we can paint the walls and put in the carpet together, since you can move on your own more easily."

"True," She shrugged, "But... I don't know."

"I know it's hard, baby. I'm scared too, but... we'll be alright. I know we will be. And I know your new job, if you get it, will give us more financial support."

"Speaking of jobs, we'll have to quit at the Java Lava."

"Y-yeah. But... I'm sure Dad and Betty will understand."

"Yeah." She yawned, and rubbed her eyes as he changed into a pair of pajama pants without a shirt. "G'night."

"G'night, Shen." They shared a kiss, then drifted into sleep in each others' arms with their glasses taken off.

* * *

 **(A/N: Well... you know the disclaimer. Not much to say. XD)**


	21. Bearing Hard News

**(A/N: How will Shenzi and Chuckie's friends and families take the news of them moving? Find out below!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 20

* * *

Shenzi paced back and forth in her bedroom, as she waited for her and Chuckie's friends and her in-laws to come. She wondered how they would break the news of moving cross country to them. She hoped that they understand, and take it well. Chuckie managed to find an apartment building close to the Tripp HQ with good lofts, so they ultimately decided on it. It was going to be tough, but they'd pull through soon. "Shenzi?" Chuckie peeked in the room, holding 2-month-old Maya. "You okay, babe?"

"I'm just nervous about how we'll tell everyone we're moving in just 2 years," She replied.

"I know," He kissed her cheek, unable to hold her closer, "But it'll be fine. I'm sure they'll understand. And I'll be there with you, telling them as well. You're not alone."

She sighed, then nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Chuck." She kissed his lips.

"Anytime, Shen."

"Maya!" She cooed. "You want to see Grandma, Grandpa, and your uncles and aunties, huh?" She kissed Maya's cheek, as the infant giggled. She was wearing one of the Ariel onesies from the baby shower, complimenting her dark red hair. She also had Chuckie's beautiful brown eyes, his freckles already sprinkled on her cheeks, his ears, and his skin color. Although she inherited her grey skin tint, round black nose, and large eye shape from her mother, and her hair color was both of her parents' mixed together. She was the perfect combination of the loving couple. "It's gonna be a fun day!- I hope."

"We'll be alright," He assured her, "Let's wait downstairs." They joined her parents, who were unaware of the plans, in the living room to wait for their friends and his folks to come. Chuckie set Maya in the black and pink Alice in Wonderland play yard in the middle of the floor, then joined his in-laws and nervous wife on the couch.

"You alright, honey?" Felicia asked her, after breaking her gaze from her precious granddaughter.

"I'm fine," She replied, "I'm just... nervous about telling you what Chuckie and I will tell everyone else as well."

"We'll understand," Friar Tuck assured her, "You're both married now, and old enough to make your own decisions. We're not going to hold you back."

"Thanks, Dad, Mom." Her heart jumped in her throat when the doorbell rang. "Oh boy, everyone's here."

"I'll get it," Chuckie stood up, and answered the door, "Hey, guys. Come on in." He stepped aside, and the gang filed in. "We'll talk in the living room. You all can settle in, and see Maya first." He led them in, where they sat around the play yard.

"Hey, Maya!" Kira knelt down by the play yard.

"How's my favorite granddaughter?" Chaz joined her.

"She's looking great in that little onesie!" Kimi remarked. "How's she been doing?"

"G-good," Shenzi stammered.

"You alright?" Tommy asked her.

"Um, yeah," She nodded, "Just a little nervous about the news we have for you guys."

"Well, since it's hard on you, we'll let you just get it over with," Frankie suggested, "So it's not building up inside of you for too long." The gang sat by the furniture. "We're listening."

"Well... o-okay." She stammered, and Chuckie sat next to her for support. "Um... the thing is... uh... this is hard to say, but... Chuckie feels that we need more financial support, so... we decided to move to New Jersey," She made herself say.

"New Jersey?" Frankie stood up in surprise. "That's cross country."

"I know!" Shenzi almost cried. "That's why it's so hard!"

"Okay, I'm sorry," Frankie hugged her, "I didn't mean to make this harder for you. I was just surprised."

"How come you specifically picked New Jersey?" Kimi asked the couple. "Just out of curiosity."

"Because that's where the Tripp NYC headquarters are," Chuckie explained, "They have a job opening for a seamstress."

"Tripp NYC? Wow!" Frankie remarked. "Shen, that should be fun! You love that company!"

"Mm hmm," Shenzi nodded, "It's just going to be really difficult without you all close by." She hugged Frankie again. "And boys, we hate to leave the nursery vacant after all that hard work you did on it." Chuckie nodded in agreement.

"Don't give it another thought," Tommy assured them, "We were happy to do it."

"When are you guys leaving?" Dil asked them.

"A couple years," Shenzi replied.

"Well, we respect your decision," Felicia assured her.

"And Dad, we hate to quit our jobs at the Java Lava, but..." Chuckie said to Chaz.

"It's fine, son. I understand you two need to earn more money. What will you do?"

"Well, if Shenzi doesn't have much off time, I'll be a stay-at-home dad for Maya."

"Good for you. If she has enough off time, would you get a part-time job somewhere?"

"Absolutely," He nodded, "I want to be financially supportive too. I'd rather not make Shenzi do all the work."

"Well, I hope you both have good luck where you end up."

"Thanks, Dad." They shared a hug.

"At least we won't miss Maya's 1st birthday," Kimi brought up.

"Mm hmm," Shenzi nodded, "We don't want to make you guys drive 4 to 5 days just for the one day, so we're waiting until after. Maybe even after her 2nd birthday."

"Do you have an idea of a theme for her 1st?" Phil asked them.

"We're still talking about a mermaid theme," Chuckie replied.

"That sounds great!" Lil smiled. "I can't wait for that day!"

"Yeah, you're all invited," Shenzi brought up with a head nod, "I was thinking of using lilac and teal colors."

"That sounds beautiful," Felicia remarked, "I can make the cakes. One for us guests, and one for the birthday girl to smash up."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Anytime, honey. I can't wait for that day, although we have... 10 months to go."

"Yep," She nodded, "They'll fly by, I know it."

"Yes they will," Her mother agreed, "Your little baby is growing up." She turned to Maya, who was smiling at Kira from her laying place. She wasn't strong enough to sit up on her own just yet. "She's as beautiful as you, sweetie. The perfect combination of you two lovebirds."

"Thanks. She has Chuckie's beautiful eyes, and adorable freckles."

Kira prodded at the dangling toys, so they caught Maya's attention. "You like the White Rabbit, huh? You like the cute rabbit, Maya?" She drew back when the baby started crying. "Oh my!"

"Here, I got her," Chuckie rushed over, and lifted her out of the play yard, "What's the matter, Mayflower? Are you hungry?" He sniffed her diaper. "You seem clean. I bet you're hungry. Come on, let's get you a bottle. Shen, can you help?"

"Sure thing," She stood up, and followed him to the kitchen, "What should I do?"

"Can you hold Maya, while I prepare a bottle for her?"

"'Kay," She took the crying baby in her arms, "Shh, it's okay, baby. Daddy's going to get your bottle ready soon. I hope she doesn't end up being lactose entolerant like me."

"I'm sure she's alright." He finished after a few minutes, then gave her the bottle. "Here you go."

"Thanks. Here, Maya." She let the baby grip the bottle as she drank out of it. "There you go, sweetie." The couple walked back in the living room, where their families and friends were talking amongst themselves. "Hey, we're back."

"Sorry we took so long," Chuckie sat with his wife on the couch, "I had to make a bottle for her."

"It's okay," Felicia assured them.

"How did having her start on bottles go?" Kimi asked them.

"It was a little tough at first, but she pulled through," Shenzi replied.

"Soon, she'll start eating solids," Chuckie remarked, then sighed, "I can't believe it's already been 2 months since she came in this world."

"Me neither," Shenzi agreed, "Well um, I'm glad you guys respect our decision to move."

"Like I said earlier, we won't hold you back," Friar Tuck repeated, "You two go on and find your place in the world when you're ready. We won't stop you."

"Thanks Dad," Shenzi shared a hug with him, "I'm terrified, though."

"You'll be alright, sweetheart. You won't be alone out there."

"I, I know, but still."

"If you ever feel nervous, just come find me," Chuckie suggested, "But if in some rare occurrence where I'm not available, then call either of your parents."

"Okay," She nodded. "And plus it's not for another two years. We have plenty of time."

"Mm," She nodded.

That night, everyone had gone back to their homes, while Felicia and Friar Tuck were in bed. The young couple were in bed as well, but were the only ones awake in the house. Even Maya was asleep. "You okay, Shen?" Chuckie asked his wife.

"Yeah," She replied, "I'm just still nervous about moving."

"We'll be okay," He caressed her hair, "I'm sure it'll be hard at first, but we'll pull through. And remember the positives?"

"Mm hmm," She nodded, "We'll have more snow, and more money from new jobs."

"Exactly. And... I'm scared too, babe. I'm scared of being away from my parents, Kimi, your parents, Frankie, and all our friends. But... I'll have you there, and Maya too. You'll have me there with you, and Maya too." She let out a little giggle at his rhyme. "We'll be alright, and we have plenty of time before we go."

"O-okay," She nodded, "Thanks."

"Anytime," He kissed her lips, "Let's get some sleep."

"'Kaykay," She yawned, "G'night."

"G'night, babe." They shared an eskimo kiss, then fell asleep in each others' arms.

* * *

 **(A/N: Yeah, this was a bit of a boring chapter. XD You know the disclaimer. In at least 2 chapters, Maya will turn a year old!)**


	22. Maya's Firsts

**(A/N: As the chapter title suggests, we'll experience some of Maya's 1sts! Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 21

* * *

Shenzi walked in the living room in her velour robe, hearing infant screams and Chuckie's voice. "What's going on in..." She stopped upon seeing her husband tickling their 6-month-old daughter on a play mat. "Here," She finished with a giggle, and knelt down next to him as he blew a raspberry on Maya's tummy, "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not really," He shook his head, "How was your shower?"

"Wet," She smirked.

"Smart aleck," He chuckled.

"It was good."

"That's good." He drew his hands away from Maya. "Okay Mayflower, you get a break."

"I'm gonna get a soda from the fridge, you want one?"

"Orange Fanta, please?"

"On it." She headed for the kitchen, as he stayed in the living room.

When he looked at Maya, his heart jumped when he saw that she started sitting up by herself! "Sh-Shenzi, Shenzi! Get back in here!" He whipped out his phone and recorded their baby doing one of her firsts.

She dashed into the room with two cans, one of Pepsi and one of orange Fanta. "What is... oh my gosh!" She knelt down by him again. "Maya, you're sitting up all by yourself! Yay!" She clapped her hands. "Good job! Mom, Dad, get down here!" Felicia and Friar Tuck rushed into the living room. "Look, Maya's sitting up all on her own!"

"Oh, yay!" Felicia cheered. "Our little granddaughter is growing up fast."

"Yes she is," Friar Tuck agreed.

"In only 6 months, she'll be a year old."

"That's right," Shenzi nodded, "And _you'll_ be 21 on the same day." She poked Chuckie's arm at "you'll" with excitement.

"Yep. And uh... we'll have to start feeding her baby food soon."

"May as well start today," She shrugged, "I bought some Gerber first food in an apple flavor earlier today, along with a pack of 3 different flavors. Although one of them is apple as well. Plus she can sit in the high chair now."

"Let's do it. Come on, big girl." Chuckie lifted Maya in his arms, and carried her in the kitchen with Shenzi and her parents following.

Friar Tuck smiled when Maya was set in her mommy's old high chair. "Shenzi, it looks almost like your baby self is sitting in there again."

"Aww," She marveled, "Well, it's great. Thanks for letting us use it for her, and the mobile too."

"Anything for my girls," He kissed her cheek.

"Okay Maya," Chuckie took her Ariel flower pacifier out of her mouth, and held out a spoon of apple flavored baby food after preparing it. "Here comes the airplane!" He chuckled when she turned away. "Aww, come on Maya. It's yummy! Come o-o-o-on. Open up. The train's coming into the tunnel. Choo-choo." When she opened her mouth, he carefully stuck the spoon in, and made sure she got it all. "There you go! Good girl!" He kissed her cheek as she shifted the food around in her mouth. After swallowing, she made a face at the unfamiliar taste, making her parents and grandparents laugh. "Yummy apples, huh? Want some more?" He scooped out another bite, and fed it to her. "Ooh, delicious! Look at you, eating your first food. You're a big girl now!" He squeezed his eyes shut when she spit the food out on his face, so Shenzi and her parents cracked up laughing, along with the baby. "Now Maya," He chuckled, "We don't spit up on Daddy's face." Shenzi gave him a paper towel, and he wiped the food off. "Let's try this again."

Soon, Maya got the hang of eating with a spoon. She ate with her parents and grandparents for her first time, with Shenzi giving her bites of baby food in between her own. "You're doing great, sweetie!" She praised her. "You're growing up so fast!" She kissed her cheek. "I'm so proud of you!"

"I am too, Mayflower," He patted their baby's head, "We all are."

l-l

On October 31st in the living room, Chuckie put a hat on his head to complete his costume, which was of the Mad Hatter. He paired the hat and jacket, which had a vest and bow tie attached on, with brown jeans and classic Converse high-tops. As he waited for Shenzi to come down with Maya, he looked in his 5th grade yearbook, and smiled at the pictures of him and his wife together at the Halloween party. Funny coincidence how they were wearing the same costumes as back then. It was sweet too.

"Hey, Chuck Hatter!" Shenzi, who was now 20, greeted him, so he whipped around in surprise, and sat next to him. "What're you looking at?"

"Um, j-just my 5th grade yearbook," He replied, then turned to her, "You look great." She was in an Alice dress with a black and white striped hems on the skirt and short puffed sleeves, a white tank top underneath for more coverage, plain white tights, a black headband that came with the dress, black Mary Janes with cat faces, Mickey Alice stud earrings, and a matching necklace.

"Thanks," She glanced down at herself, "Funny how we're dressed as the same characters as in the 5th grade. But now, we have a little Cheshire Cat!" Maya was in a light pink t-shirt, a neon pink cardigan for warmth, little Cheshire Cat costume shoes, and a costume set that included a cat ears headband, a pink two-tone tutu, a clip-on fluffy tail, and hot pink legwarmers. Under her tutu was a hot pink diaper cover with ruffles on the back.

"Aww," He chuckled, "She looks adorable. Come here, little kitty." He picked her up, and rubbed his nose on hers. "You're just so precious!" He started covering her face in kisses, making her squirm and giggle. He stopped when the doorbell rang. "Can you get that, Shen?"

"Sure," She nodded and answered the door as her husband cuddled with their daughter.

"I'll set out the candy," Felicia, who was in a pink Sleeping Beauty dress with a foil crown, set a Mickey and Friends cauldron of candy on the coffee table. They were having a gathering with their friends and families to celebrate Maya's 1st Halloween, and had the house and yard decorated.

"Hey, guys!" Shenzi greeted Bobby and Frankie after opening the door. "Come on in!"

"Aww, look at Maya!" Frankie gushed. "She's so adorable!" She was in a Queen of Hearts costume, while Bobby was dressed as the White Rabbit.

"She the Cheshire Cat?" Bobby asked them.

"Yep," Chuckie nodded, "The cutest Cheshire Cat that has graced the planet." He nuzzled Maya's cheek, then let Shenzi hold her. "I can't get over how adorable she looks. Or how beautiful my wife looks." He kissed her lips.

"Aww, thanks Chuckie." They looked to the door when someone started knocking.

"I got it," Chuckie stood up and went to open the door, but when whoever was behind the door started knocking to a familiar tune, he stopped with amusement, and let them finish.

"Can you guess our costumes?" Kimi asked him from outside.

"Hmm..." He smirked, "Gene Simmons and Star Child?"

"Haha, funny," She giggled, before he opened the door. Kimi was dressed as Morticia Addams, while Tommy was Gomez.

"Great costumes," He complimented them, "Come on in."

"Thanks, bro!" Kimi eagerly entered the house, stumbling in her black ankle strap pumps, with Tommy following. Chuckie was surprised at how low-cut her long costume dress was, considering her young niece was there, but kept it to himself. "Ohh, Maya looks so precious!"

Soon, everyone was at the house, and gathered in the living room, with Maya in the middle of the floor. "She looks so cute, Chuckie!" Lil gushed. She was in a female Gene Simmons costume from the KISS Museum with replica boots instead of the covers that came with her dress. "Thanks Shenzi, for letting me borrow these earrings." They were studs with black skulls and crossbones.

"My pleasure. You look great!"

"Thanks!"

"You do too, Harold! What are you, a gangster?"

"Yes I am," He nodded.

Phil was dressed as Ace Frehley from KISS, while Dil was a prisoner. Nicole and Fridge were in Day of the Dead costumes, with their own bundle of joy matching with them. "Guys, Miley looks so cute!" Shenzi gushed.

"Thanks!" Nicole bounced 1 ½-year-old Miley on her knee. "We wanted her to match with us. Your little Maya is looking pretty adorable herself."

"Thanks. Like with you guys, Chuckie and I wanted to match her costume with ours."

"Well you guys look very cute together."

"Thanks."

Felicia handed out Disney pumpkin buckets of candy to the guests, the guys getting Mickey and the girls Minnie. There was Disney Halloween gummies and candy corn, boxed Swedish Fish, classic Dubble Bubble Gum, Trolli Sour Gummy Worms, Haribo Happy Cola, Mellowcreme Pumpkins, and Sour Patch Zombie Kids almost flowing over the openings. "Lot of gummies," Lil giggled, "Great choices!"

"What can I say?" Felicia shrugged, "My girls love gummies. Although Frankie laid them off when Shenzi needed braces, so she wouldn't be left out."

"That's nice," Lil nodded.

"I'm surprised there's no chocolate," Phil remarked, before she slapped his arm. "Ow!"

"Phil!" She scolded him. "Be grateful for what you have!"

"It's alright," Felicia assured the twins, "Phil, we have chocolate candy here, if you want a piece."

"Actually that'd be great; Thanks!"

"Coming right up, Ace Frehley." Felicia rushed into the kitchen, grabbed two candies from a bigger cauldron of candy for trick-or-treaters, and came back in. "Here's a Coffee Crisp."

"Ooh, thanks! I love these!" He stashed it in his bag.

"And Nicole, this is for Miley," She gave her an orange lollipop with a pumpkin face on the wrapper. "So she wouldn't be left out."

"Oh! Thank you, Mrs. Tuck!" Nicole took the wrapper off, and held the lollipop in front of her baby's face. "Look, Miley! Candy!" Miley gripped the handle with her tiny hand, and with her mommy's help, stuck the top in her mouth. "Ooh, yummy!" As her daughter sucked on the candy, she opened her bag of cola gummies and tried one. "Oh my gosh, these are amazing! It's like they're really filled with cola!" She swallowed it, and ate another.

"Mom, can Maya have a lollipop too?" Shenzi requested.

"Aww, I'm sorry honey, but I think she's a little too young for candy."

"Ohh, okay. Well, that's fine. I want her to be healthy."

"I'm going to get the cupcakes," Friar Tuck, who was simply in his work robe, walked to the kitchen, and set a platter on the coffee table by the small cauldron along with some plates. They were chocolate with purple frosting, and textured icing decorations of orange dress-up pumpkins, black skulls and crossbones, and colorful skeletons, in orange "Trick or Treat" liners.

"Ooh, cupcakes!" Dil eagerly grabbed one, and ate it up.

"We're gonna get so fat after this," Frankie giggled as she ate one, "But it's worth it!"

"Who wants a drink?" Felicia asked around, and everyone raised their hand. "Umm... here." She lugged an inflatable cauldron cooler filled with bottles of Coke, Sprite, orange Fanta, and water, all staying cold in some ice. "Go crazy!" They gathered around the cooler, grabbing bottles out, then sat back in their spots.

"You look very handsome, Chuckie," Shenzi sidled up to her husband, and drank from her Coke bottle, as Felicia started greeting trick-or-treaters, and giving them candy.

"Thanks Shen," He drank out of his orange Fanta bottle, "You make make a lovely Alice."

"Thanks. And our Maya is an adorable little Cheshire Cat. Come here, you!" She set her bottle down, and held Maya in her lap. "Aren't you an adorable little kitty? Yes you are!" She nuzzled her dark red hair, which was already thick.

"You're just the cutest little kitty I've ever seen," Chuckie kissed her cheek.

"Wow Nicole, you're right!" Frankie exclaimed. "These _do_ taste like cola!" She looked down at Miley. "She seems to be enjoying her lollipop."

"Yup." "Her costume is adorable; Yours too."

"Thanks!"

"Hey, Chuckie?" Shenzi looked up at her husband as she ate an icing decoration separate from her cupcake.

"Yeah?" He smiled down at her, eating out of his Mickey candy corn bag.

"I'm excited for Maya's 1st Christmas." She drank from her bottle, and ate a Haribo gummy.

"Me too, Shen," He kissed her lips, "Mm, cola." They shared a laugh. "But seriously, I'm excited too. I hope it comes fast."

When Felicia opened the door, everyone was startled by one boy in a werewolf costume letting out a loud growl and howl. Maya and Miley were both so scared, they started crying, while the boy was laughing. "Oh boy. Come on, Nicole," Shenzi stood up with Maya, and Nicole followed her lead with Maya, "Let's go in the nursery." She shot a glare at the boy as she passed by the doorway, as did Nicole. "Shh, it's okay baby, it's okay. He's gone."

"You're alright, Miley," Nicole rubbed her baby's back, "The mean doggie is gone. He won't get you."

"Can you believe the nerve of that kid?" Shenzi asked her, as the two mothers sat on the floor.

"I know! That was so rude!"

"The kids doing okay?" Chuckie peeked in, "Shen, your mom's giving that boy an ultimatum for scaring them." He walked in, with Fridge close behind, and they sat with their respective wives.

"Good. They're still pretty spooked," Shenzi answered his question.

"The nerve of that kid," Chuckie stroked Maya's hair in an attempt of comfort. "Shh, it's okay, Mayflower. It's okay." Shenzi started rocking her a bit. "That mean kid is gone now, sweetie." He kissed Maya's head.

"You're okay, Miley," Fridge tried to comfort his own daughter, as did Nicole, "You're alright."

l-l

Before long, the family had the amazing Christmas decorations all set up again, and arranged a gathering with their friends and families before heading to church for mass. "Hello there, Velveteen," Chuckie chuckled at seeing Shenzi's mass outfit. She had a dress with a white collar and 3 buttons, plain leggings, Mary Janes, and a hair bow, all in black velvet. "You sure your earrings aren't velvet too?" He teased her. She had black cubic stud earrings.

"I'm sure," She giggled.

"Well, you look very pretty," He kissed her lips.

"Thanks. You look very handsome."

"Thanks, Shen." He was in a blue polo t-shirt with black stripes near the top, a dark blue sweater vest, dark denim jeans, and black Vans. "Is Maya ready?"

"She sure is," Shenzi nodded, "I'll go get her." She walked into the nursery, then came back down with 8-month-old Maya in her arms. She was in a black sleeveless dress with a blue flower, Peter Pan collar, and ruffles (minus the 1st), black leggings with pink bows at the ankles, the green mermaid bow headband from the baby shower, a black bow cardigan, and black Mary Janes with holiday plaid bows. For the home gathering, she wore the red Minnie Mouse sweater that her mommy bought while heavily pregnant with her, instead of the cardigan, which Shenzi had handy.

"Nice," He smiled, "She looks ready for Grandpa's church."

"Yep," She agreed, as he kissed their baby's cheek.

"That sweater will be taken off before we leave, right? Considering we have to dress nice for church, not festive."

"Yes it will," She nodded.

"I'm ready!" Frankie came in from the nursery, dressed for both gatherings.

"Me too!" Felicia followed close behind.

"Aww, what an adorable sweater!" Frankie gushed.

"We got it at the World of Disney last year."

"Ohh yeah!" Felicia remembered. "Well, it looks precious on her."

"Is Dad already at the church?"

"Yeah," Felicia replied, "He had to go early, but he'll meet us there."

"'Kay," Shenzi nodded.

Before long, everyone arrived, and after several minutes of hanging out, headed for the church. Shenzi left Maya's Minnie sweater in her nursery, replacing it with the cardigan, then headed out with her husband.

At the church, the group had front row seats, with Shenzi holding Maya, who had her Minnie Ariel plush doll, in her lap as Friar Tuck did his job. She tried to hide her sleepiness, but a yawn gave it away. "You tired, Shen?" Chuckie asked her.

"Mm hmm," She nodded.

"You're not bored, are you?" He chuckled.

"No!" She giggled quietly. "I could never be bored when my own dad is the preacher."

Soon, the time for the choir's performance came, but it seemed that one of them was mysteriously missing. "Well, it looks like our main singer couldn't make it," Friar Tuck announced, "So we'll need a replacement. And I know the perfect girl. Shenzi?" She was surprised at that. After Chuckie shifted Maya into his lap, she walked up to her father. "Can you sing in the main girl's place?"

"Umm," She stammered nervously, "Y-yes, I can," She nodded, and the audience applauded. She knew all the songs performed at the mass.

"Okay everyone, this is my youngest daughter, Shenzi!" He announced to the audience. "And almost a year ago, she became a mother to a beautiful baby girl!" Everyone applauded for her, as she waved shyly.

Some time later, the mass had reached its conclusion, and everyone filed outside, including the employees. "You did great, Dad," Shenzi remarked.

"Thanks, sweetheart. So did you." He kissed her cheek. "I'm pretty sure I saw Maya clapping for you." He glanced up at the sky. "Both of them."

"Mm hmm," She blinked some tears away, then let out a yawn, "Man, I'm sleepy."

"Maya's ahead of you," Chuckie nodded towards the sleeping baby in his arms, and yawned, "I'm tired too. Let's get home and into bed."

"Good idea," Kimi nodded.

At home, Shenzi changed into a set of Mickey and Minnie Mouse festive pajamas with a long sleeved red shirt, along with black fuzzy socks, and Chuckie wore his that matched hers, only with Donald Duck on a green shirt. They woke Maya and changed her into the red Mickey and Minnie snowman sleeper they bought at the World of Disney last year, then laid her in her crib, and climbed into their bed. "Well, g'night Shen," Chuckie held her in his arms.

"G'night, Chuck." They shared a kiss, then drifted off to sleep after taking off their glasses.

l-l

The next morning, the couple woke up, and took Maya downstairs, just as Kimi, Kira, and Chaz arrived with wrapped presents. Kimi gushed over Maya's Pjs as Kira and Chaz set the presents under the tree. "Merry Christmas!" Chuckie was greeted with hugs by his parents.

"Merry Christmas to you too!" He hugged them back. "You too, sister!" He hugged her from behind, surprising her.

"Thanks bro," She giggled, "Our in-laws up yet?"

"Not yet," He shook his head.

Before long, it was time to open presents. For little Maya was a festive Mickey Mouse blanket with "My 1st Christmas" embroidered on it, a green mermaid metallic skirt, a red bodysuit with long white striped sleeves and a design of Mickey and Minnie Mouse building a snowman, a white Minnie Mouse hooded holiday jacket, and red Mickey and Minnie kiss Mary Janes. "Whoa, Shen!" Chuckie expressed surprise when he opened his present from her. It was all video games with Super Mario Maker for the Wii-U and 3DS, Super Mario Bros U, and an amiibo of classic Mario. "Thanks!" He hugged her tightly.

"You're welcome," She giggled, "I know you've been trying to save up for them, but I just couldn't not get them for you."

"This one's from me!" Kimi nudged a present to him.

"Ooh, looks interesting," Chuckie opened it, and it was a pair of festive Mickey Mouse patchwork lounge pants. "Thanks, Kimi!" He shared a hug with her.

"Anytime, big brother."

"Shenzi's turn!" Frankie nudged the presents with her stepsister's name to her.

"Yay!" She opened a small one to reveal stona black feather earrings, and a matching necklace. "Oh, cool!" She also took out a black short-sleeved rayon babydoll dress, and a black halter leotard with white daisies all over.

"This one's from me," Frankie pushed a thin box to her, "I made it myself."

"Ooh!" Shenzi eagerly opened it, and took off the lid, and saw what looked like a biker jacket made out of shiny leather fabric. "A biker jacket? Awesome!"

"Oh, it's not a jacket," Frankie shook her head, "Take it out."

She lifted it out of the box, not noticing what was under it, and to her surprise, it was actually a catsuit! "Oh my God! I can't believe you made this all by yourself!"

"Whoa!" Chuckie looked _very_ interested. "You ought to look great in that."

"Thanks," She giggled.

"Did you see what was under it?" Frankie asked her.

"Huh?" She looked, and saw a pair of black patent knee-high gogo boots. "Oh!"

"Who-o-o-oa," Chuckie's eyebrows raised up, "Shen, when Maya's put down for a nap, you've _got_ to try those on, together."

"I'll do just that," She giggled.

"Here's another one," He pushed a box to her.

"Oh, thanks!" She opened it to reveal a Betsey Johnson Layer Cake bikini, like the one she borrowed from Angelica years back, but in black with straps on the top. "Ooh! I hit the jackpot!"

"Oh my God," Chuckie breathed, his cheeks flushed, "You think _you_ hit the jackpot?" He chuckled. "I'm a lucky man."

"Pfft, man," Shenzi giggled with Frankie.

"Very funny," He laughed with them.

After a while, Maya was napping in her crib as the adults ate cookies. They already had dinner just like last year's, and it was just as delicious. "Hey, Shen? Go try that casuit on, with the boots."

"Okay," She giggled, and walked upstairs with them in hand. After changing, she came out, but stayed out of everyone's eyesight. "Close your eyes, everybody!" After peeking out to see if they were listening, she walked back downstairs, her boots clicking on the steps, until she stopped in front of them. "Okay, open!" They opened their eyes, and she was showered with compliments.

"Oh my God, Shen," Chuckie walked up to her, "You, you look so hot in that outfit." He kissed her lips.

"Thanks," She giggled, "Frankie, you did really great! It's amazing!"

"My pleasure, sis. It's not too tight?"

"Nope, it's perfect."

"Merry Christmas, Chuckie. Your other present... is me," She held her arms out.

"Best present ever," He chuckled, and kissed her again with his hands on her hips. "Thanks, Frankie, for making it."

"My pleasure," She giggled, "You're so horny."

"Yep," He laughed with her and his wife, "Shen, if we go somewhere, just the two of us, you should wear those."

"Whatever you want," She giggled, and kissed his lips with a bit of passion.

"Best Christmas ever," He smiled goofily after she pulled away, making everyone laugh.

* * *

 **(A/N: I was going to have Maya's 1st birthday in here, but decided that the chapter was long enough. You know the disclaimer.)**


	23. Maya's Birthday- and Chuckie's Too!

**(A/N: Here's what was originally going to be in the previous chapter. Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 22

* * *

"I can't believe this day has finally come," Felicia remarked to Shenzi, as she took a "1" cake out of the oven.

"Me neither," Her daughter agreed, "My little Maya is a year old! And Chuckie is a legal adult!"

"It feels like it was only yesterday when you made the announcement of your pregnancy."

"I can't wait until the party starts!"

"Me neither, baby." Felicia set the cake on the table. "How's it look?"

"Perfect!" She gave her a thumbs up. "Maya will have fun crushing it."

"I hope so," Felicia giggled, "I'm just glad I made the guest cake first. Thanks for helping me with it."

"My pleasure, Mom. I'll go ahead and get dressed for the party with Chuckie."

"Alright."

Shenzi headed upstairs, and knocked on her closed bedroom door. "Hello?"

"Just a second," Chuckie replied, before opening the door, "You getting dressed?"

"How'd you know?" She giggled.

"I heard you downstairs. How's this look?" He was wearing lilac purple jeans, a light teal t-shirt, classic Converse low-tops, and a black button-up casual vest.

"Good," She gave him a thumbs up, "Pretty pants," She giggled.

"I borrowed them from Phil," He shrugged, but then they fell down to his mid-thighs, making him blush and yank them back up.

"Here," She giggled, and held up a thin black belt, "Use this."

"Thanks." As she kept his pants up, he looped the belt around his waist, and had it firm, but not too tight. "There we go."

"Better," She nodded, then started picking an outfit.

"Here, I'll give you a little privacy," Chuckie left the room, gingerly closing the door behind him. After a minute, he heard her say she was done, so he opened the door, and closed it after entering the room.

"How's this?" She wore a simple black tank top, the same black petticoat skirt from her 13th birthday, black circular mermaid scales stud earrings with silver frames, turquoise and purple metallic mermaid leggings, a purple hair extension that reached past her bangs, multiple extensions that were turquoise, purple, and pink, classic Converse low-tops with teal laces, and a floral lace short-sleeved crop top over her tank, the lilac lace complimenting her skin.

"Beautiful," He nodded, "We'll both match with the theme perfectly."

"Thanks," She gave him a soft kiss, "And I'm glad it's such a beautiful day out. It's perfect for having our little girl's party outdoors."

"Yep," He agreed, "But wait, um." He took the purple hair extension out, then clipped it to the side, where it wasn't in her face.

"Thanks. Um... I was thinking later tonight, I can take _you_ out for _your_ birthday, while my parents watch her," She smirked seductively, with her arms around his neck, "It'll be just the two of us."

"G-great," He stammered nervously, "I look forward to it."

"Good," She kissed him with some passion, and he reciprocated.

It was beginning to get more intimate when someone knocked on the door. "I hate to interrupt your love fest, but your first guests are here!" Frankie announced. "Is Maya ready?"

The young parents drew away in realization; Maya wasn't dressed yet! "Oh! Uh, umm, not yet," Shenzi stammered.

"How long have you two been in there?" Frankie giggled.

"Only a couple minutes!" Shenzi replied, then opened the door. "Sorry, guys. I'll get Maya ready."

"I'll be downstairs," Chuckie pecked her lips, then walked downstairs, with Frankie and Bobby following.

"Need any help, Mom?" Frankie offered.

"Not right now, honey," Felicia shook her head, "Pretty much everything is done. Your father finished decorating about a minute ago."

"Awesome! Let's go wait outside!" The group minus a certain one filed out in the backyard through the patio door, where Felicia set the smash cake on the picnic table.

"I'll wait in here for Shenzi, Maya, and everyone else!" Chuckie called out from the kitchen.

"Okay!" Felicia nodded, then walked outside and slid the door shut.

Chuckie leaned against the table, waiting for his favorite girls to come down and go outside with him. Plus the other guests hadn't arrived yet. "Here we are!" Shenzi came downstairs with Maya in her arms. The birthday girl was in the white mermaid "One" bodysuit and green mermaid scales headband with a purple sequin bow from the baby shower, turquoise and purple mermaid scales leggings that matched her mommy's, an aquatic colored ribbon tutu with mint roses on the waistband, and teal knitted booties with purple shells.

"She looks great," He kissed Maya's cheek, "Perfect for her party."

"Yep," Shenzi nodded, "Is everyone else here yet?"

"Not yet," He shook his head, "But they should be here soon."

"'Kaykay. Let's wait for them in here."

"Alright." He looked down at the baby in his wife's arms. "I can't believe she's already a year old."

"Me neither," She agreed, and laid on his shoulder, "Time flies."

"That it does," He held her closer.

"Happy birthday," She leaned up, and kissed his cheek, "You're now a legal adult."

"Thanks, Shen." He chuckled when Maya reached up for him with cute babbles, and took her in his arms. "That's right, Mayflower. We share birthdays." He nuzzled his nose on hers, making her giggle. "You have the same birthday as Daddy." They looked up when someone knocked on the door.

"I'll get it," Shenzi trotted to the door, and opened it to reveal Tommy and Kimi, the former who had a surprisingly large present in his arms. "Hey, guys! Come on in!" She closed the door after they entered the house. "The party is out in the backyard!"

"Thanks," Tommy nodded, "Happy birthday, Chuckie!"

"Yeah, happy birthday, bro!" Kimi added.

"Thanks guys. You can set that box outside." He slid the door open for them.

"Thanks!" Kimi followed Tommy outside. "Hey, guys!"

"Hi!" Felicia greeted them. "Glad you two could make it!"

"Big present," Frankie giggled, "Here Tom, I'll take it." She set it by the other presents.

"Thanks for that. My arms were getting sore."

"No prob."

Soon, everyone came to the party, so Shenzi and Chuckie brought Maya out, and she was set in the high chair. The decorations were all lilac and teal with a mermaid theme, consisting of a banner of tails spelling Maya's name, a table with a purple cloth lined with tassels, carrying the food, drinks, plates, forks, and napkins, balloons, paper lanterns and streamers hanging from the small awning, and a purple "1" by the door. The guest cake had two layers with scales on the top, and kelp, starfish, and shells on the bottom, and a shell "1" topper with a mermaid. The smash cake had scales along the side, both brims lined with edible pearls, and two tails associated with a purple "1" in the center.

Everyone watched as Maya crushed her cake with her tiny hands, Shenzi feeding her most of it with a spoon, and were amused at her cute antics, such as splattering it on her face. "Ooh, yummy!" Shenzi fed her a small spoonful. "Grandma's a great cook, huh?" Felicia blushed at that.

Once she was done, the guests had some of the two-layer cake. "Wow Mom, this is great!" Shenzi exclaimed. "You did good!"

"Thanks," Felicia nodded after swallowing a bite.

"I bet Maya had fun smashing hers," Chuckie remarked, before sticking a spoonful of cake in his mouth, "When are we doing presents?"

"For you, or Maya?" Shenzi teased him.

"Maya!" He chuckled. "She's more important than me."

"If that's what you think," She giggled, "I think after we finish eating, we'll give her presents."

"Sounds good."

After a while, Maya was set on the patio, on a thick blanket for comfort, and the adults took the presents over to her. "Let's open the biggest one," Shenzi lugged Tommy and Kimi's present over, then opened it with Chuckie and Maya. "Oh, wow!" It was an Ariel play kitchen set that resembled a stove with an oven.

"This ought to be fun for her once she's older," Chuckie remarked, "Thanks, guys."

"Our pleasure!" Kimi nodded.

"This is from me," Frankie gave them a small wrapped gift. Maya opened it on her own, considering its size, and her parents saw it was two headbands. One was like the one she currently wore, only in lighter shades with red striped tulle under the bow, and a fork on top, while the other was purple with a matching sequin bow, and teal Minnie Mouse ears. "How cute! Thanks, sis!" Shenzi hugged Frankie.

"My pleasure."

Maya also received an Ariel footed long onesie, a mermaid halter swimsuit with a lilac purple bow bust, and a matching headband, a set of 3 with green scales printed leggings, a matching bow headband, and a purple hoodie with a white "Mermaid Kisses and Starfish Wishes" design, an Itty Bitty Ariel doll with a plush blanket lined with satin attached to it, and a purple two-tone short-sleeved ringer bodysuit with a teal tutu, sequin shells on the front, and a dark red bow headband.

Throughout the rest of the day, she kept the doll blanket close to her, melting everyone's hearts. Chuckie had her in his lap, as Shenzi got a slice of cake, then sat next to him. "The presents are great, aren't they?"

"Yeah," He nodded, "Maya ought to have fun with that toy kitchen when she's older, and those new clothes will look adorable on her. Plus she seems to love the blanket." He fingered the soft material on it.

"I think Maya is going to be an Ariel fanatic growing up."

"I think so too. At least if she dresses up as Ariel for Halloween, she won't need a wig."

"True." She scooped up a frosting-filled spoonful of her cake, then held it up to him. "Open?" He opened his mouth, so she fed him the spoonful.

"Thanks, Shen."

"My pleasure," She ate a spoonful herself.

That night, everyone had gone home, the decorations were taken down, and the presents were brought up to the nursery. "Hey Mom, Dad?" Shenzi came up to her parents. "Do you think you can watch Maya for a while? I'd like to take Chuckie out for his birthday."

"Sure thing," Felicia agreed to do it.

"We're happy to look after our little granddaughter," Friar Tuck added.

"Oh, thanks! I'll go get dressed." She headed upstairs, put Maya in her crib for a nap, and changed in her room, sneaking by Chuckie, who was in the bathroom prepping himself for the night out with his one and only. "Oh, Chuckie," She stood at the doorway, now wearing her catsuit and gogo boots, along with her feather earrings and necklace, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah Shen, I've just gotta..." He stopped when he saw her. "Whoa! Y-yeah, I'm ready." He kissed her lips after adjusting his black shirt collar. "Let's go." They walked downstairs, hand-in-hand.

"Okay, we're going!" Shenzi announced.

"Have fun, you two!" Felicia waved her hand at them.

"Oh, I will," Chuckie chuckled, then walked out to the car, where Shenzi took the driver's seat. "So, where are you taking me for my birthday?"

"You'll see," She winked, and continued driving. She glanced at him when he was eyeing her for several minutes straight. "Uh, you're staring," She giggled.

"Sorry," He broke his gaze. After a couple more minutes, she parked in front of Outback Steakhouse. "Oh, cool!"

"I remember this is your favorite restaurant," She said as she unbuckled herself, "So I made a reservation. Come on, let's go in."

"Right," He nodded, and followed her inside.

"Hey," She walked up to the maire 'd, "I have a reservation for 2."

"Uh..." The man stammered, "Um, um, bah..."

"Hey," Chuckie snapped his fingers in front of his eyes, "She's mine, buddy."

"M-my apologies, Mr. Finster. Please, follow me." As they followed him to a vacant table, lonely guys were gawking at Shenzi left and right, but she ignored them. She clutched onto Chuckie's arm to give out the message that she was taken, but that didn't stop anyone. When the maire 'd stopped at a small table with two chairs, the couple sat down. "Alright, a waiter will be with you momentarily." He then left, eyeing Shenzi for a few seconds.

"Some people are so creepy," She remarked.

"Well Shen, you do look amazing in that outfit," He looked forward, and kissed her forehead, "Guys love a girl in a catsuit. They are being rude, though," He raised an eyebrow at some perverts still staring. "She's mine, fellas! Quit eyeballing her!"

Some time later, they were eating their food. Luckily for them, their waiter was a woman. "How's your grilled chicken?" Chuckie asked Shenzi.

"Awesome," She replied, "What about your ribs?"

"Very good," He nodded, and took a bite.

After sharing a small parfait, Shenzi paid the bill, despite Chuckie's insisting, and they headed home. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yep," Chuckie nodded, "Thanks for taking me here."

"My pleasure," She kissed his lips at a red light, "Anything for my hunky hubby."

"Oh stop," He chuckled, "Um, I wonder how your folks are doing with Maya."

l-l

"Come on, sweetie," Felicia attempted to feed her apple flavored baby food, "Here comes the train. Choo choo!" She succeeded in getting the food in her mouth. "There you go! You did it!" She kissed her cheek. "You're growing so fast."

"We're very proud of you," Friar Tuck ruffled her hair.

"Hey, we're back!" Shenzi came in with Chuckie. "Did Maya behave?"

"Well, she was a little stubborn with feeding and bath time, but other than that, she was an angel," Felicia replied, "How was your night?"

"Good," Chuckie replied, "She took me to Outback."

"That Australian steakhouse?" She asked him.

"Yup. It was great."

"Well, good! I'm glad you lovebirds had fun. Shenzi, your father and I are going to bed for the night. G'night, sweetie."

"G'night, Mom, Dad."

The young couple laid in bed after changing into their pajamas, brushing their teeth, and putting Maya in her crib for a nap. She was in her new Ariel sleeper for the night. "Did you have a good birthday, Chuckie?"

"I sure did," He replied, "My little girl had one too, and I got to go out with my wife. Nothing can top it." They shared a kiss.

"I'm glad you had a good day," Shenzi played with his hair, "Maya too. And by the way, I love what you did with your hair." He had it cut to a chin-length a couple days ago.

"Thanks, Shen."

"Anytime. I liked your shoulder-length hair, but you still look very sexy." She gave him a kiss.

"Again, thanks. Now um, let's get some sleep. I'm beat."

"'Kay," She put their glasses on the bedside table, "I love you, Chuckie. Happy birthday again."

"I love you too, Shenzi," He kissed her forehead, "And thanks."

"You're very welcome," She laid on his chest, and was asleep almost instantly.

Chuckie held her closer, and stroked her dark hair. Life was so wonderful; He had the best wife any guy could ask for, and his baby girl was now a year old. He rested his head on Shenzi's with a blissful sigh, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **(A/N: Well, Maya is a year old, and Chuckie is a legal adult! You know the disclaimer.)**


	24. A Major Step

**(A/N: Well, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 23

* * *

"Come on Maya, come to Daddy," Chuckie cooed at 15-month-old Maya, who sat across from him in the living room, staring at him with her large, brown eyes. She was wearing the short Ariel tutu bodysuit from her 1st birthday. He was encouraging her to take her first steps, considering she was a little late for it. He had his phone recording, in case she would start walking on her own. "Come here, Mayflower." His heart swelled with hope when she stood on her tiny feet, but she then stumbled and fell back on the carpet with a little grunt. "That's okay, baby girl. Try again, you can do it!"

"Has she walked yet?" Shenzi came in from the bathroom, and laid on the couch behind his head lazily.

"Not yet," He replied, "But she's determined, I know it."

"Ah," She nodded, "Here, I'll help out. Come on, Maya! You can do it, cutie! Come here!"

"Come on!" Chuckie clapped his hands in encouragement. "Come to Daddy!" Maya pushed herself up on her feet, then waved her arms as she started walking! "You're doing it!" He smiled widely. "You're walking all by yourself! Come on, keep going!" He gestured towards himself. "Come here, sweetie!" Shenzi noticed his phone, and moved it to follow the baby, until she collapsed in Chuckie's lap, her face on his ribs. "You did it!"

"Yay!" Shenzi clapped her hands, and sat on the floor. "You're a big girl now!" She crawled over to the recliner, where her father usually sat after working. "Okay, come here, Maya! Come to Mommy!" Chuckie set her on the floor, so she could stand up by herself, which she managed to do, and moved his phone to record her. "Come on!" Shenzi encouraged her, and held her hands out. "Come here, baby!" Both parents got excited when Maya stood up, and started slowly walking towards her. "That's it! Come on! You can do it!" She helped her the rest of the way by holding her tiny hands, until she was in her lap. "Yay! You did it!" She clapped her hands, as Maya babbled. "You're growing so fast!" She kissed her cheek.

Chuckie stopped recording, and crawled up to his favorite girls. "You're a big girl, Maya," He stroked her red hair, "We're very proud of you."

"It's too bad that Mom and Dad are working," Shenzi remarked, "They would've loved to see her walk for her first time."

"Yeah," He agreed, "But at least I have it recorded," He held his phone up, "We can show them after they're back home."

"Sounds good," She nodded, "Phew, it's hot!" It was a bit over 80 degrees in the house alone.

"Sure is," He fanned himself, "Hmm, let's go out to the pool."

"Isn't Maya too young to swim?"

"We don't have to swim," He shrugged, "We can just hang out around the pool here. Either one of us can go in, but the other has to watch her."

"Mmm... okay," She nodded, "Let's do it." She picked Maya up, and they headed upstairs. "Okay sweetie, let's change you into your first bathing suit!" As she changed, Chuckie put Maya's mermaid halter swimsuit from her birthday on her, along with the headband, and slid her tiny feet in Ariel flip-flops. Over her swimsuit was green mermaid shorts, and a purple "Mermaid Kisses and Starfish Wishes" tank with ruffle straps. "She ready?" Shenzi peeked in, wearing a black satin slip mini dress over her swimsuit, black open heart earrings, and black jelly sandals.

"Yep," He nodded, "I'll go change. Let's meet outside."

"Alright," She agreed, and took Maya outside to the in-ground pool, while carrying an Ariel hooded towel to dry her off with, just in case, that was always used after bath time.

"Hey ladies," Chuckie came out in blue floral swim trunks, black flip-flops, and a grey Avengers t-shirt that read "I have a Hero; I Call Him Dad" in black letters, associated with Spider-Man, Captain America, and Hulk shields.

"Hey gentle-man," Shenzi greeted him, and stripped out of her dress, revealing a black and white heart-print bikini with slightly high-waisted bottoms, and a top modest enough for Maya to see, yet still stylish, with light teal halter straps, ruffles trimming both pieces, and a bow on the top.

"Nice," He smirked, and sat on the lawn chair with her, as Maya sat on the tile flooring.

"Go ahead and take your shirt off," She giggled, "No one's looking." She jokingly shielded her and Maya's eyes.

"Okay," He chuckled and stripped out of his shirt, as his wife took a little peek between her fingers, "Are you peeking?" He asked her.

"No-o-o," She replied, then moved her hands down.

"I saw you peeking," He smirked, "Are you telling me the truth?"

"Ye-e-es," She drew out.

"You don't want to lie to me while wearing that."

"Oh, and why not?" She smirked.

"You know," He chuckled, and started tickling her bare sides.

"Eek! Hehehehehe!" She squeaked and burst into a fit of giggles, surprising Maya. "Ohohokahahahay, I peheheeked! Iehehehe admit ihehehehet!"

"Good girl," He drew his hands away, then turned to Maya, who looked at him innocently, "You'd better be honest with me once you start talking, or you're next, little Mayflower," He playfully threatened her, but she giggled. "Good," He kissed her cheek, "Glad you understand." He then leaned over to his wife's head. "This'll be so effective while she grows up," He whispered in her ear, "It'll teach her to be honest without hurting her."

"Yeah," She agreed quietly, "Um, I'm going to take a little dip. Can you watch Maya?"

"You can count on me," He scooped her up in his lap.

"Okay, thanks!" She stepped into the pool, and relished the warm, but refreshing water. "Ah, this is nice."

"I envy you, Shen," He chuckled.

"You can sit on the ledge if you want," She shrugged, with her lower arms on the deck, "Just don't let Maya try to swim. Keep a good hold on her."

"Alright," Chuckie stood up with Maya in his arms, and carefully sat on the ledge, which was about 2 inches under the water. "That feels good." He kept their baby in his lap.

"Very refreshing, huh?" She floated up to them, resting her arms on the ledge.

"Yep," He nodded, "Good day for a dip."

She was quiet for a moment, then spoke up again. "I'm going to miss this."

"Miss what?" "Just... living in my childhood home," She replied, "And everything in it."

"I understand," He patted her shoulder, "I know it'll be tough, but we'll pull through. I bet we'll find a good preschool near your future workplace, when Maya's old enough."

"I hope so." Shenzi giggled when Maya reached down, and splashed the water with her tiny hand. "Having fun there, sweetie?"

"She wants to swim with her mommy," He chuckled, "Sorry Mayflower, you're too young to swim." He kept her in his lap. "When's a good time to sign her up for instructions?"

"For swimming? Umm, I'd say 3 years old, at least."

"Alright," He nodded, "Maybe in New Jersey, they'll have a pool for that."

"We having fun out here?" Felicia peeked out.

"Uh huh," Shenzi replied, "We were feeling hot, so we decided to chill out here."

"Good idea," Felicia agreed, "Mind if me and your father join you?"

"Not at all," Shenzi shook her head.

"Go ahead," Chuckie nodded.

Felicia sat by him with her feet in the warm water, after taking her shoes off, while Friar Tuck shifted the lawn chair closer, and sat by his youngest daughter. "Water feels nice," Felicia spoke up after a bit of silence.

"Yep," She nodded.

"Maya looks pretty cute in that swimsuit," Friar Tuck remarked.

"Yeah," Chuckie agreed, "Like a baby version of Ariel, almost." He patted Maya's dark red hair, and kissed her head. "But as beautiful as Mommy." Shenzi blushed at that. "Who'd have thought her first swimsuit would be almost a costume?"

"It's adorable," Shenzi remarked, "I love it."

"Me too," Chuckie agreed.

After a while, Felicia noticed that the clouds were darkening. "Uh oh; Those clouds look angry. We'd better dry off, and head inside."

"'Kay," Shenzi dried Maya with the Ariel towel, and put her shorts and tank on, then took her into the living room after drying herself and slipping back in her dress. The family gathered in the living room, as rain started pouring down. "That doesn't look so good," She remarked with Maya in her arms.

"Nope," Chuckie shook his head, "Hopefully there won't be any thunder, or lightning." They flinched at the white flash, associated by a small clap of thunder. "Never mind." Shenzi clung onto him, her fear of thunder and lightning coming in. "We're okay, Shen." Everyone flinched again when almost the entire inside of the house was illuminated, and the thunder following was booming loud, so they had to cover their ears. Maya then started to cry from the scare. "Shhh, it's okay, Maya. It's okay."

Shenzi tried to comfort their baby as well, although was struggling from her own nerves. "We're alright, sweetie. It won't hurt us." She turned to her husband. "I'm going to get her Ariel blanket real quick." She dashed upstairs, took the blanket out of the crib, then ran back down, cringing at some lightning. "Here, Maya." The baby took the blanket in her hands immediately, as Chuckie shielded her eyes from the windows. "Uh, I'm going to use the bathroom, and brush my teeth while I still can. I'll be back in a few minutes." She ran back upstairs, and the three, er _four,_ heard the bathroom door close.

"I hope the power stays on," Chuckie remarked.

"Me too," Felicia nodded, "Um, I think I'll use the bathroom and brush my teeth too." She walked in the downstairs bathroom, leaving the two men and the baby alone.

"I hope Shenzi will be alright, should any storms come in New Jersey," Friar Tuck spoke up after a bit of silence, other than Maya crying, but ceasing.

"Me too," Chuckie agreed, as he rubbed Maya's back to sooth her, "But I'll comfort her anytime she needs it, no matter what."

"Good."

"I'm back," Shenzi walked back downstairs, and sat next to Chuckie, "Is Maya calm?" A sudden thunder clap gave her an answer.

"Not anymore," He shrugged, "Stupid storm." They tried to sooth her again. "It's alright, sweetheart. Mommy and Daddy will protect you from the storm. It won't hurt you."

Shenzi stifled a yawn as she rubbed Maya's back. "I'm getting sleepy."

"Let's head up to bed," Chuckie suggested.

That night, the young couple laid in their bed together, with Maya in the crib, and the curtains covering the bedroom windows. The storm had calmed down, but was still strong. "I hope it stops soon," Chuckie remarked.

"Me too," Shenzi agreed, "I don't like thunder and lightning, not at all. Not since I was a baby."

"I understand," He yawned, "But let's try to sleep through it."

"'Kay," She nodded, and they took off their glasses, "G'night, Chuck."

"G'night Shen," They shared a kiss, then rested in each others arms. They gripped onto one another when more thunder clapped loudly, before they heard Maya crying again. "Uh oh."

"I got her," She shifted out of his arms, and ran into the nursery. She saw the 1-year-old bawling in fright in the crib, and lifted her up. "Shh, it's okay, baby, it's okay." She sat in the rocking chair, and attempted to sooth her. "The mean old storm won't hurt you."

After an hour passed, Chuckie began to worry. He didn't hear Shenzi go to the bathroom, and Maya wasn't crying anymore. He quietly jumped out of bed, and walked in the nursery, where he saw a precious scene; His wife was in the rocking chair with their daughter in her arms, as both of them were peacefully asleep. At this time, the storm had passed, and the moon shined in after he quietly moved the curtain aside, letting the light in. He grabbed his phone from his room, and snapped a picture of his favorite girls at peace. He kissed Shenzi's forehead, then carefully lifted her out of the chair to lay her back in bed. She let out a moan of fatigue, but snuggled in his shoulder, as he walked down the hall. He laid her face-up on the bed, so Maya would stay safe, then took them both in his arms after laying in front of her. "G'night," He whispered to them, "I love both of my girls." He drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **(A/N: Sorry if this story is going a little slow. Things will get quicker soon! You know the disclaimer.)**


	25. Merry!

**(A/N: Another big first will be in this chapter. ;) Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 24

* * *

"Maya, say Mama," Now 21-year-old Shenzi gently urged 20-month-old Maya on a cool, December day. "Can you say Mama? Ma-a-a-ama?"

"Ba-a-a," Maya babbled, and Shenzi giggled.

"You're getting there!" She encouraged her. "Come on, try again."

"Ba-a-a-a-ba."

"Close!"

"Ba-ba!"

"Oh, wait! You want your bottle, don't you?" She grabbed a bottle from the kitchen, and started feeding her. "You'll have to start eating solid food soon, y'know. And start drinking from a sippy cup."

"Hey," Chuckie came in the living room, his hair dripping wet, and sat next to her on the floor, "Has she said her first word yet?"

"No, not yet," She shook her head.

"What're you waiting for, Maya?" He teased her. "You waiting until you're 2?" He chuckled, and she giggled with him. "Take your time with it, Mayflower." He kissed her cheek. "We're in no rush, sweetheart."

"Has our little granddaughter spoken yet?" Felicia asked them as she and Friar Tuck walked in.

"No," Chuckie shook his head, "She's taking her time, but it should happen soon. She'll be turning 2 in only 4 months. Man, where did the time go?"

"It left us, so we could take care of Maya," Shenzi giggled, so he chuckled.

"She's definitely growing up fast," Friar Tuck ruffled Maya's hair. It now just barely reached her shoulders, and was wild like her parents'. She was truly a perfect combination of her beautiful mommy, and her handsome daddy.

"Yes she is," Chuckie nodded, "Soon, she'll be in her first year of preschool, then kindergarten, and then... she'd be graduating high school, and getting a job."

"You forgot that she'll start dating," Shenzi smirked.

"No way," He shook his head, "No way is some airheaded pretty boy taking my baby away from me, ever."

"Chuckie, I thought we agreed to let her start dating at 25," She reminded him.

"Uh, I, I don't remember that."

"Nice try, buddy," She giggled, "Don't try to weasel your way out of this."

"Fine," He pouted, "She'll start dating at 25, no earlier."

"What about when she's really close to 25, and becomes interested?"

"Mmm, nope." She couldn't help but giggle at him. "What can I say? I've been protective of her since she was still in your tummy, Shen."

"Yeah, you big ol' papa bear!" She wrapped her arm around his neck in a headlock, and started giving him playful noogies after Maya was set safely on the floor.

"Hey!" He tried to free himself. "Shenzi, stop it! You're messing up my hair!"

"Your hair's been messy since you were 2!" She laughed. "You ought to be used to it by now!" Her parents watched in amusement.

"Shenzi!" He quickly tickled her side to get her to release him.

"A-ahey!" She yelped and let him go. "That was a dirty move," She giggled.

"So was yours," He chuckled, "But anyway, I just don't want Maya to get hurt."

"I feel the same way," She assured him, "But I don't want to keep her from having a social life."

He let out a sigh, as Maya played with her toys. "I, I don't either. I want my little girl to be happy."

"Good," She nodded, "Now um, why don't we go out shopping, just the 3 of us? We need a few things."

"Alright," He agreed, and they headed for the door with Maya.

"Oh! Mom, Dad, you want to come with us?" She asked them. "Sorry I didn't offer in the first place."

"Oh no, we're fine," Felicia assured her, and Friar Tuck nodded, "Your father and I will look after the house. You young lovers have fun with our little granddaughter."

"Thanks, we will," Shenzi nodded, then headed out with her husband and daughter to the car.

"Dada," Maya babbled after Chuckie strapped her in her car seat.

"Aww," He chuckled, "Yes, I'm your Dada." He kissed her forehead, then sat in the driver's seat. "She almost said "Daddy" just now."

"Aww!" Shenzi grinned. "How sweet! I tried to get her to say "Mama" earlier today, but it's still a work in progress."

"Ah," He nodded, "Well, she'll be talking soon, I know it."

"Me too."

The family of 3 arrived at Wal-Mart, then took Maya in the store. Shenzi set her in the seat, and pushed the cart as Chuckie walked along with her. "Ooh, they have the Christmas decorations!" She pointed out with excitement.

"Do they?" He looked, and saw that she was right. "Well, if you want, you can go look at them. I'll just need your list."

"'Kay," She took it out of her purse, and gave it to him, "I'll meet you at the registers, unless we meet at the decorations!" She then took off, making a beeline for the Christmas decorations and apparel.

Chuckie smiled as he watched her go, then turned to Maya. "I love your mommy so much, baby girl. I'd do anything for her. And... I feel the same way about you." He kissed Maya's cheek. "You're my little princess, and will remain so until our times should come." He started browsing through the grocery aisles, as she gazed in awe at any boxes or jars they passed. Soon, they were in the cake decorations section in the Christmas department, where he looked at the festive choices.

When he wasn't looking, Maya grabbed a thin jar of sprinkles and started shaking it, although he didn't notice. He was debating between a selection of icing decorations, when he was startled by a thump from something falling on the floor. "Uh oh," Maya babbled after she dropped the sprinkles jar, so it rolled to Chuckie's foot.

"Now Mayflower, you need to be more careful." He put the jar back on the shelf and continued browsing, now watching his daughter in his peripherals. When he saw her reach for the sprinkles again, he took action. "Uhp-uhp-uhp! It's not a toy, Maya." She looked sad after he put it back, but he stood his ground. "Sorry sweetie, but you could've been hurt if that jar broke."

"What happened?" Shenzi walked up to them.

"Maya pretended a jar of sprinkles was a rattle," He replied, "And she dropped it on the floor, but it's not broken."

"Oh, good."

"Anything interesting?"

"Just same old stuff," She shrugged.

"Ah," He nodded, "Well, all we need is the frozen stuff, and we'll be done."

"Alright." The couple browsed the frozen sections, then went for a register after they were done.

"Your child is adorable," A woman complimented them.

"Thanks," Chuckie nodded.

"How old is she?"

"She'll be 2 in 4 months," Shenzi replied.

"Aww! My son here just turned 2," The woman gestured to the little brunette boy in her cart.

"He's adorable," Shenzi smiled.

"Thank you."

"Hi," The boy waved at Maya.

"'i!" She waved back.

"You have a weird face."

"Hey now, that's not nice," Shenzi planted her hands on her hips.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," The woman hastily apologized, "Charlie, we do not say things like that. Just because she looks different, that doesn't mean she's weird."

"His name is Charles? That's my name too!" Chuckie pointed out. "And um, it's fine."

"Thanks, and that's interesting! Now Charlie, say you're sorry to the little girl. What's her name?"

"It's Maya," Shenzi replied, "After my mother."

"Ah," The woman nodded, "Charlie, apologize to Maya."

"Okay, Mommy," The boy turned to her, "Sorry I said you're weird."

She let out a babble. "'Ay."

"I think that means "it's okay"," Chuckie translated, "She hasn't said her first word yet."

"Ohh."

After they paid for everything, the couple headed back for their car, as Maya looked drowsy. "Someone looks sleepy," Chuckie remarked.

"I'm kind of wiped out too," Shenzi yawned as she and her husband stashed their groceries in the car trunk, the cold stuff going in the portable cooler.

"You excited for Christmas?" He asked her.

"Oh yeah," She nodded, "It's my favorite time of year."

"'Cause of the presents?" He chuckled.

"Well yes," She giggled, "But I also love decorations, festive outfits and songs, cookies, all that."

"Ahhh," He nodded, "Well, I do too."

By the time they were home, Maya was fast asleep while Shenzi struggled to keep her eyes open. "Here we are," Chuckie announced, "Home sweet home." His wife helped him with the groceries after they laid Maya in her crib, and she then laid on the couch.

"Soon, we'll have to trade Maya's crib in for a big girl bed," Shenzi pointed out, and shook her head in disbelief, "Wow."

"Yep," He sighed, "Our little girl is growing up fast."

"Yes she is."

l-l

On Christmas morning, the Tucks and Finsters gathered around the tree, eager to open all the presents. After several minutes, everyone was admiring what they had received, and thanking one another. Maya was having a ball with her new Ariel plush doll that she received from Aunt Frankie and Uncle Bobby as the adults talked. "It looks like Maya's enjoying her new doll," Chuckie remarked.

"Yup," Shenzi nodded, "Thanks, Frankie."

"My pleasure! Anything for my sweet little niece!" Frankie kissed the toddler's cheek. "Merry Christmas, cutie pie!"

"M-merry!" Maya spoke!

Shenzi gasped as she and Chuckie quickly turned to her. "Maya! You-you just talked! D-do it again!" She gently, but excitedly urged her.

"M-m-merry," Maya repeated.

"Oh my God!" Shenzi hugged her close, as did Chuckie. "You said your first word!"

"You're _talking!_ " Chuckie added.

"Merry!"

"Wow!" Kimi exclaimed. "Frankie, our little niece is growing so fast! She's already talking!"

"Uh huh!" Frankie nodded. "Good thing Chuck's phone was recording."

"Yep," Chuckie nodded, "Maya, I'm so proud of you."

"Dada!"

"Aww!" Kimi gushed. "How sweet!"

"Dada is very proud of you, Mayflower," He kissed his daughter's head.

After the excitement died down, the family had their traditional Christmas dinner, while Shenzi fed Maya turkey flavored baby food for the occasion like last year. They also watched holiday specials and movies on the TV, and sang Christmas carols together.

That night, after Chuckie's family and Frankie went home and Shenzi's folks were asleep, the young parents laid in their bed together, reminiscing the day's events. "I can't believe Maya said her first word today," Shenzi remarked.

"Me neither," Chuckie agreed, "She's growing up so fast."

"Yes she is," She nodded, "Well um, g'night Chuckie. And merry Christmas."

"G'night Shen, and merry Christmas. I'm gonna tuck Maya in real quick. I'll be back in a second." He stood on the floor, and walked in the nursery. "G'night my little mermaid, and merry Christmas."

"Merry!" She reached up to him, hoping for a hug.

"Aww," He chuckled, and picked her up, holding her close, "I'm very proud of you, baby girl. Soon, you'll be talking to Mommy and Daddy like a big girl." He saw that she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. "G'night, my little Christmas angel." He kissed her forehead and set her in the crib, but she held onto his shirt. "Come on, kiddo. I need to go to bed with Mommy." He gently tried to pry her tiny hands off, but she kept her grip firm. "Oh fine," He chuckled, "You can sleep with us. Mommy should be okay with it." He grabbed her Ariel doll, and walked back in the bedroom, where Shenzi was patiently waiting. "We've got a little bedmate."

"Aww," She giggled, "She can sleep with us."

"Good." He carefully laid in front of his wife, and she scooted closer to him. "G'night, Shen."

"'Night, Chuck."

The couple drifted off to sleep with their little miracle in her daddy's arms.

* * *

 **(A/N: Maya said her first word! You know the disclaimer.)**


	26. Moving Day

**(A/N: Here's a big step not just for Maya, but for her mommy and daddy as well. Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 25

* * *

Shenzi sighed sadly as she packed the last of her stuff. It was now time to officially move with Chuckie and Maya across the country. She knew this time would come; She just didn't want it to. Their families stood somberly on the sidewalk as she stashed the last suitcase in the trunk, which contained the rest of their items, including Maya's toys, clothes, and nursery furniture. "Well... this is it," She shrugged after pushing the trunk door shut.

"That's everything," Chuckie added. He took his wife in his arms when she sniffled and wiped tears away.

"We wish you only the best," Felicia choked up.

"G-good luck in New Jersey," Kimi sniffled.

"Thanks," Shenzi nodded.

"We'll... we'll call you guys at any hotel stops," Chuckie promised, and hugged his family in turn, as Shenzi did hers. At this time, 2-year-old Maya was fast asleep in her car seat, already having said goodbye to her grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

After bidding their emotional farewells to their family and friends, Chuckie hesitantly entered the family Mini Cooper, and after sighing heavily and shakily, Shenzi followed his lead. He slowly started driving away, using the new GPS navigator to get to their destination, as she waved to the large group. She then looked back ahead, and rested her lower arms on her knees as he drove. Her flip flops were on the floor, as her feet were up on her seat. At a red light, he saw her sniffling and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "We'll be alright," He kissed her cheek, "We'll get used to it."

"I, I know," She stuttered quietly, sliding her feet back in her black embellished flip flops. For the first day of excessive car time, she was in black yoga pants with a pink "Most Loved" print on the waistband, a black and white striped racerback tank top with "LOVE PINK" on the front in pink letters, both from Victoria's Secret, and black rose earrings. She had a black fleece hoodie in her lap for nighttime. Chuckie was in blue jeans, his cupcake ninjas t-shirt, and classic checkerboard Vans.

"Just remember," He gently took her hand in his, "I'll always be there for you. No way am I ignoring you, especially when you're feeling the pressures of moving out. Anytime you feel nervous, no matter what, just come to me, okay?"

"Okay," She nodded after sniffling.

"And after we settle in, you can fill in a job application for that fashion company."

"Yep."

He stroked her hair when she started sniffling again. "I understand how tough this is for you. I'm scared too. It's hard for me to imagine not waking up to your folks or mine everyday. But one thing won't change: We'll wake up to each other, and our little Maya." She nodded her head a bit. "I hate leaving our families and friends, but... that's life."

"I know," She mumbled.

"But just think of the perks. Beautiful snow, your new job, more... privacy."

She accidentally let out a little snort. "You're disgusting," She stifled giggles.

"I know," He chuckled, "But hey, at least I get to see your beautiful smile." Since they were at a red light, he reached over with one hand, and started poking and tickling her.

"Hehey! Hehehehe!" She giggled and squirmed in her seat. "Stop it! Hahahaha!" Her shoulders hunched up when he tickled her neck. She started writhing when he moved his hand down her side over her shirt. "Stohohop!"

"Okay, I'm sorry," He laughed, and held the wheel with both hands again, "I just wanted to cheer you up."

"I know," She nodded, "Thanks, Chuckie." She kissed his cheek.

"It's my pleasure, Shenzi. I hate seeing you depressed, angry, or scared. I only like seeing you happy, excited, and having fun."

"Ditto," They shared a quick kiss before the light turned green, so he continued driving. "Besides... who knows? Maybe us being the only adults in the house can be fun."

"Probably," She shrugged, "We can eat whenever and whatever we want."

"Yeah!" He nodded. "And we can get takeout whenever we want!"

"Yep. And uh... Maya ought to have fun playing in the snow when it comes."

"Yes she will."

"Speaking of Maya," Chuckie quickly glanced back, "She seems to be asleep."

"Aww," Shenzi smiled, and glanced back as well, "Our little girl."

"Yup. Speaking of Maya, while you have your job interview, I'll look for a good preschool nearby."

"Sounds like a plan."

After a few minutes, they heard her little voice. "Dada."

"Yes, baby?" Chuckie glanced back. "Shen, can you see what she needs?"

"'Kay." She looked back, and saw Maya with her hands between her legs. "She needs to go potty."

"Oh! We all could use a bathroom break anyway."

Outside of a gas station, Shenzi guided Maya to the grass, as Chuckie made a beeline for the mens'. "Okay sweetie, go ahead and do your business." She closed her eyes to give 2-year-old some privacy after setting her on her training potty. After she was done, Shenzi lifted her up, and headed back inside to wait for Chuckie, after cleaning the potty out and putting it back in the car. Maya wasn't quite ready for adult toilets just yet. "She's done," She told Chuckie after he came out.

"'Kay. Let's find something to buy here. It's common courtesy."

She nodded in agreement, then picked out a Coke bottle, while he went with orange Fanta, and they bought a small pack of gummy bears for Maya. Chuckie carried the 2 bottles out, as Shenzi held their daughter and her candy bag, and they piled back in the car after she opened the bag for her. "Okay, let's keep going."

"Yep," He nodded, and started driving. They were now inching towards the border from Nevada to Utah.

"M-mama," Maya babbled.

Shenzi almost choked on her soda upon hearing her, as Chuckie's eyes widened. "Di-did you hear her, Chuckie?!"

"Mama."

She quickly turned back to face behind her seat. "Hey, baby girl."

"Mama," Maya reached towards her.

"Yeah, I'm mama," She let her hold her fingers.

"She's definitely growing up," Chuckie sighed.

"She sure is. It... it's too bad Mom and Dad aren't here to see this."

"Yeah," He nodded somberly, "Um, why don't you call them? So they can know how we're progressing."

"Okay," She took out her phone, dialed her former home number, and waited for an answer.

"Hello?" Felicia answered after only 2 rings.

"Hi Mom," Shenzi choked out.

"Hey, baby. How's the drive going?"

"It's fine so far. Chuckie and I miss you guys."

"Aww. We miss you two lovebirds already too, and Maya. How's she doing?"

"She's good. Um, she said "Mama" about a minute ago."

"Aww, how sweet! I wish we could've heard it."

"Me too. How are things at home?"

"It's boring without you two, and Frankie here."

"Ah. Well um, I was just checking in. We're not in a hotel yet."

"Alright. I'd better get started on dinner. I bet I'll make dinner for 4 by mistake." They shared a laugh at that. "But I'l try my best to divide the portions by half. Goodbye, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom. Bye." They hung up, and she put her phone in her purse.

"How are things over there?" Chuckie asked her.

"Mom says it's boring without us and Frankie there."

"Ah," He nodded, "I miss them already. They're the best in-laws any guy could ask for."

"Good," She nodded, "And your folks are the best in-laws any girl could ask for."

"That's good." He flinched in surprise when his phone suddenly rang in his front pocket. "Um, can you get that, Shen?"

"Sure," She snickered and took his phone out of his pocket, giggling when he squirmed in his seat while her hand was on his hip. "Sorry." She then slid on the screen to answer. "Hello?"

"Oh, hi Shenzi," She heard Kimi's surprised voice, "Is Chuckie driving right now?"

"Yeah, he is. He asked me to answer his phone."

"No problem. How's the drive going so far?"

"It's fine. Um, Maya said "Mama" a few minutes ago."

"Aww! That's so cute! I already miss you guys."

"We miss you all too. I bet Maya does too."

"At least there's Facetime, or Skype."

"Yeah. Hmm, if the hotel we stay in has good wi-fi, maybe we can facetime with you guys."

"Sounds great! I look forward to it! You know my tablet address."

"Yep, and Frankie's. Chuckie can call you, while I call her."

"Sounds like a plan. Okay, I'll let you go."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye."

They then hung up, and she slid Chuckie's phone back in his pocket, making him squirm again. "How are things at my former... former home?"

"They seem good." She then stifled a yawn, as she noticed it was getting dim outside. "I'm getting tired. Are we stopping soon?"

"Yeah, we should be," He nodded, "It is getting dark out."

Shenzi glanced back behind her seat. "Maya's asleep right now."

"Ah. She's onto something there," He chuckled, then let out a yawn, "I'm getting tired too. Can you look up hotels nearby?"

"Sure," She took out her phone, and researched.

l-l

Soon, they were at a Best Western located in Utah, where they decided to stop for the night. "Nice," Shenzi smirked, holding Maya with one arm, and lugging a suitcase with the other after sliding her arms in her hoodie for the cool nighttime weather.

"Yep," Chuckie agreed, "Let's go inside."

They walked in the lobby, feeling thankful at the automatic doors, and Chuckie headed for the front desk, as Shenzi sat on the brown leather couch. "Hi. I'd like a room for 2 adults, and 1 child."

After only a few minutes, he came up to his wife, who was admiring their little sleeping beauty. "We've got a room."

"Oh good," She carefully stood up, and helped him with the luggage the best she could, until they were in the elevator. "What floor?"

"3rd," He replied, then yawned again.

"Ah," She nodded, "I bet it'll be very cozy."

Soon, he had led his girls to the assigned room, and they settled in after a minute or two. Maya was changed into her pajamas, and laid in one of the beds, Shenzi snickering as Chuckie set pillows at both sides of the bed after requesting extras. When he turned back to her with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, she quickly stopped. "Something funny there?"

"Sorry," She sat up, "I know you want to protect her. I do too. I just didn't expect you to give her padded walls."

"Anything for her safety," He shrugged, "Let's get ready for bed."

"'Kay," She yawned. They grabbed their respective hygienic items, and brushed their teeth together in the bathroom, then changed into their pajamas. He was in grey Haunted Mansion lounge pants without a shirt, while she wore black and pink flower pajamas with boyshorts and a camisole. She noticed him smiling reminiscently. "What?" She smiled self-consciously.

"I just remember you wearing those on your 13th birthday."

"Ah," She nodded, "That was almost 10 years ago, and they still fit on me."

"Yep." They then walked back to the beds, where Maya was just barely awake.

"Mama," She mumbled.

"Hey baby," Shenzi leaned towards her with her hands on the bed as Chuckie smiled at them both, "You sleepy?"

"'eah," She replied, and glanced at the plush doll in her arms, "Ay-el."

"Yep, Ariel," Shenzi giggled, "You like Ariel, don't you?" Maya answered her question by hugging her doll.

"Aww," Chuckie's smile grew, then knelt down in front of her, "Well Mayflower, it's time to close those beautiful chocolate eyes." He stroked her red hair.

"Ni', Dada."

He chuckled under his breath. "G'night, baby." He kissed her cheek, then laid in the other bed.

"'Night, sweetie," Shenzi kissed her forehead, and joined her husband in the other bed. "I love her so much," She sighed happily.

"Me too, Shen," Chuckie held her in his arms, "Me too. She's as beautiful as her mama."

"And she has Dada's charm," She giggled with him, "She's perfect."

"Just like Mama," They shared a kiss for a couple seconds. He then noticed that she suddenly looked depressed after they separated. "What's wrong?"

"I just miss our families," She admitted, blinking tears away.

"I miss them too," He stroked her black hair in comfort, "Wait... didn't you say we were going to video chat with them tonight?"

"Oh, I forgot!" She shot up. "Well, it's kind of late right now. I'll text Kimi, and tell her we'll try again tomorrow." She stood on the floor, grabbed her purse from the table, and texted her sister-in-law, then laid back in the bed. "Okay, let's go to sleep. We've still got a long drive ahead of us."

"Yep," Chuckie agreed, as they turned off the lamps, "G'night, Shen."

"G'night, Chuck."

After sharing a quick kiss, they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **(A/N: Well, their journey to their new life begins! You know the disclaimer.)**


	27. A New Home

**(A/N: I'm so-o-o-o sorry I took so long to update! I had my wisdom teeth removed about 2 weeks ago, and after a few days of recovering, I caught a small cold. Lucky me. Anyway, enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 26

* * *

A few days later, the family of 3 were on their last day of driving. Chuckie's eyes blinked open as he yawned, and he pushed himself up. "Shen?" He gently nudged her shoulder, but ended up pushing her on her back from her position on her side, surprising her awake.

"Oh! Um, huh?" She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Sorry about that," He shrugged sheepishly, "You want to start packing up?"

"Sure, in a few minutes," She flopped back face-down on the bed, and was out again.

"Hey," He chuckled, "I'm not going to pack up by myself, y'know." He started poking her sides and back to get her up again.

"Ehehehehehe!" She burst into a fit of giggles, as she squirmed and tried to protect herself. "Fihihive more minuhehehetes! Hehehehehe!"

"You can sleep in the car, Shen," He drew his hands away when she sat up and put her glasses on, still giggling. "Come on, let's wake Maya up, and get ready to hit the road again."

"'A'ight." They woke their daughter, brushed their teeth, changed their clothes, including Maya's, then headed out to the hotel parking lot, returning their room key. She had fallen back asleep in Chuckie's one-arm hold on the way, with her Ariel doll in her arms, and her head on his shoulder. Chuckie held her closer, with his cheek in her thick hair, and love in his eyes. She was his little angel.

For what would be the last day of excessive car time, Shenzi now wore super plush Halloween fair isle leggings, a black Minnie Mouse Halloween icons t-shirt, her flip-flops, black and green glittery cauldron stud earrings, and a black Mickey Mouse Hallowee icon hoodie. Chuckie was in classic denim jeans, a black Astrosmash t-shirt, and blue Converse low-tops.

Maya was still peacefully asleep as her daddy drove along the road, still following the GPS directions. "We almost there?" Shenzi yawned.

"Well, we're almost out of the state," Chuckie replied, "We should be exiting Philadelphia in about an hour or so, and entering New Jersey."

"'Kay," She nodded, "My legs are getting a little stiff."

"How about we stop for a little snack break, to stretch our legs?" He suggested.

"Sounds good," She agreed.

At a gas station, the couple stretched their legs outside, while keeping an eye on Maya, who sat in the grass. They received stares from other people, but ignored them, as Shenzi called her folks at home, telling them of how their drive was going, and that she and Chuckie missed them. After grabbing some snacks from the gas station, and using the restrooms, they started driving again. She stifled yawns as she ate her sour gummy worms. "You getting tired, Shen?"

"A little," She replied, "Where are... oh!" She saw a sign for a second. "We're in New Jersey!"

"Yep," He nodded, "Our new home state."

"When are we gonna arrive at the apartment building?"

"Um... it might be pretty late. It may be dark by the time we're even in Hudson County."

"Ohh, okay." She stuck another worm in her mouth, and absentmindedly watched the world roll by as he drove on the road.

"We may have to settle into our new home tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan," She agreed.

When they stopped at a red light, they heard a sweet little voice behind them. "D-Da...?"

"Yes, baby?" Chuckie looked back at her.

"Da, Daddy?"

Shenzi snapped out of her fatigue at hearing her. "Oh! She said Daddy!"

"Yes she did," He nodded, "Yeah, I'm Daddy, sweetie."

"Da-daddy," She reached for him with both hands, spilling her gummy bears in her lap.

"You're spilling your candy," He chuckled as he held her hands with one of his own, "You're silly."

"Daddy," A smile grew on her little face, so he smiled back.

"Chuckie?" Shenzi gained his attention. "The light's green."

"Oh!" He quickly turned back around, and hastily started driving again.

"She's growing up fast," She remarked emotionally, then turned to look at Maya, who was eating her gummy bears, "Do you remember me?"

"Mama," She replied with her mouth full.

"Yeah," Shenzi giggled, "I'm mama." She reached forward and tickled her neck with one finger, making her squirm and giggle. "You sweet little angel." She then turned to face forward. "I love her so much."

"Me too, Shen. Me too."

The black-haired mother ate her sour gummy worms as her redheaded husband drove along the New Jersey road. He happened to glance at her when she made a face at the sour taste, and he chuckled at her funny expression. After swallowing, she giggled with him, as the little ginger drifted off back to sleep, one of her bears falling back in the bag from her tiny lips. "Um, I'm kind of nervous, still."

"I am too," Chuckie agreed, "But we're fine. Uh, the apartments in Avalon North Bergen look really nice."

"You saw pictures?" Shenzi confirmed.

"Yep," He nodded, "Just to get an idea. I at least saw the floor planning. We'll just have to see how it looks in person when we get there."

"Yeah," She yawned, "Man, why am I so tired?"

"Probably 'cause of this big change," He guessed, "I kinda am too. Road trips wear me out." He quickly glanced behind their backs. "Maya's back asleep."

"Aww," Her smile grew, as she drank from her water bottle, "I, I cannot believe that we're parents."

"Me neither. But I wouldn't trade that fact for anything. I'm the happiest that I ever have been."

"Ditto," She kissed his cheek, "Living with just you and Maya sounds kind of exciting."

"Yeah," He nodded, "There's more privacy, and we can eat whatever we want."

"Yep," She smirked.

Some time later, the sky was turning into hues of purple and yellow. By now, street lights had turned on. Shenzi had drifted off to sleep after needing a bathroom break from eating her whole bag of worms in one day. She had her arms crossed on her knees, and her head resting between her elbows, facing her husband. Her shoes were on the floor, since her feet were on her car seat, and her glasses were carefully set on the dashboard. Chuckie soothingly stroked her black hair after stopping at a red light, and kissed her cheek. She looked adorable with her slightly baggy sweatshirt, her perfectly messy hair, and her peaceful face. He looked back, and saw Maya asleep as well, hugging her Ariel doll in her tranquil slumber. He had the most beautiful, amazing girls who ever existed; A devoted wife, and a precious daughter. He was the luckiest guy on the planet.

Chuckie stifled a yawn as he kept driving. He hoped that they would arrive at Avalon soon, because he was getting exhausted, and didn't want to end up in an accident from sleepy driving, especially with his two girls in the car.

By the time nightfall came, Chuckie was inching closer and closer to the apartment building. Shenzi and Maya were asleep once again after a bathroom break. As of now, his wife's nose was at her knees, so she looked straight ahead at the road before them. He smiled as he listened to her peaceful, even breathing as her black-polished toes dangled from her seat. Soon, he finally arrived at the parking lot for Avalon North Bergen, and stopped in a spot close by. After turning the car off, he kissed Shenzi's head, and gently nudged her shoulder. "Shen? We're here."

"Hmm?" Her eyes blinked open, as she put her glasses on, and slipped her feet back in her shoes. "Oh!" She stepped out of the car, opened the side door, and woke their daughter. "Maya, we're here, baby." After the toddler just barely opened her eyes, Shenzi lifted her out of her car seat, and helped Chuckie with their luggage. Maya had fallen asleep in her mama's hold, while gripping her shirt with her free hand. Shenzi lugged one suitcase in the lobby, along with the toddler car seat, as Chuckie pulled in the others, taking multiple trips. She offered to help him, but he insisted on doing it himself.

After lugging everything in the building, Chuckie went to check them in, as Shenzi stayed with Maya and their luggage on a comfy chair. She was on the verge of drifting off to sleep with their daughter, as he unintentionally took his time. After signing everything, he went up to his sleepy angels. "Okay, we've got a 2-bedroom apartment."

"Yay," His wife smiled sleepily, and stood on the floor. They lugged their bags to the elevator, where they rode to the 5th level of the building.

"Well Shen," Chuckie unlocked the door to their apartment, which was 522, when they arrived, "Welcome to our new home." He opened it, and let her walk in first. In front of them was the kitchen, the living room a distance away, and a coat closet.

"Wow," She breathed in awe as he closed the door after everything was in the room, "This place looks great." The couple headed for the living room, where they propped their luggage at the back of the couch. "It's a good thing there's furniture already in here. Hopefully there's a bed."

"I'll check real quick," Chuckie found one of the bedrooms, peeked in, and went to report back, "Yeah, there's a bed."

"If there's a bed in the other bedroom, then we can have it moved to storage, so Maya's crib can go in there."

"Sounds good."

After a short time, the family were getting ready for their first night in their new home. The couple laid in their bed after Maya was set in her crib, gazing at the currently unfamiliar surroundings. "Man," Shenzi shook her head, "I can't believe this is happening."

"Me neither," Chuckie agreed, "We have our own place, for our little family. How're you doing?"

"Still a little nervous," She admitted.

"Well, we're fine," He comforted her, "We'll make it being the ones in charge. Neither of us are alone here; We've got each other." She nodded in agreement. "Plus this bed is really comfortable." She giggled at that.

"Yep it is," She laid on his chest and the pillow, "Um, g'night, Chuckie."

"'Night Shen," He kissed her head, then they drifted off to sleep in their first night in their home away from home.

* * *

 **(A/N: Well, there you have it. The Finsters are in their new home! You know the disclaimer.)**


	28. Job Interview and Pizza Buffet

**(A/N: Sorry I took so long to update! I've been a little preoccupied with Epic, by Blue Sky Studios. Anyway, enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 27

* * *

About a week later, the small family had settled into their new apartment. At this time, Chuckie was playing with Maya in the living room, while Shenzi was in the master bedroom, getting dressed for an important happening: Her job interview with Tripp NYC. "Well Maya, if Mommy gets this job, she won't be around as often, but don't you worry; Daddy will still take good care of you." He kissed his daughter's cheek.

"Chuckie?" Shenzi walked in the room. "Is this professional enough?" She was in a white sleeveless collar blouse, black dress pants, a black boyfriend blazer with grey cuffs, black plain suede flats, black cubic stud earrings, and her wedding ring.

"You look great, Shen," He stood up on the floor, "Although... I don't think you should have your bangs like that, as you always do. You'll want to look more confident." He grabbed a plain black hair barrette from her room, then approached her with it. "It's just for this one thing." He carefully clipped her slightly longer bangs back, so they practically blended with the rest of her hair, and her blue eye was now showing. "There we go; Now you're perfect."

"Thanks, Chuck," They kissed for a second, "I'm kind of nervous."

"You'll be alright," He assured her, with his hands on her upper arms, "You're a hard worker, and are great with people; It'd be a crime to not hire you." She lowered her gaze with a shy blush. "You're a shoo-in for that job."

"Thanks, Chuckie," They kissed for a second again, "Well um, I have a few minutes before I need to head over there. What're you and Maya doing?"

"We're just playing," He replied, and they sat down with the 2-year-old to join her.

After a short time of creating scenes with Maya's miniature Disney Animators' Collection dolls, some from an advent calendar used for last Christmas, Shenzi stood back on her feet. "Well um, I'd better be going."

"Alright," Chuckie stood with her, and gave her a kiss on her cheek, "Good luck. Not that you'll need it."

"Thanks, Chuck." She then patted her daughter's hair. "I'll be back soon, Maya." She kissed her head, then headed out after grabbing her purse, and was out the door after giving her two loved ones a wave goodbye.

"Well Mayflower," Chuckie sat down again, and laid on his stomach, "Let's have Ariel meet Peter Pan this time, huh?"

"'Kay!" She agreed enthusiastically, and they each grabbed a doll.

At the Tripp NYC HQ, Shenzi parked in the parking lot, feeling like she was going to puke. Her legs shook ever so slightly as she walked in the building, and asked for directions to the main office. On the way to the office, she received weirded-out stares by current employees walking by, making her feel even more anxious. She quietly gulped when she arrived, and knocked on the door. "Come in," A male voice rang from the room, so she nervously entered, trying to look confident.

"Hello," She greeted him, trying to hide her nerves.

"Are you Mrs. Finster?"

"Yes sir," She nodded.

"Well then, let's get started on the interview, Mrs. Finster." She sat in the chair facing his desk, secretly twiddling her fingers after setting her resume on the desk. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm uh, just nervous. This is my first job interview with someone I don't know personally."

"Well, I'm sure you'll do just fine, Mrs. Finster."

At Avalon, Chuckie was putting Maya's dolls away as she napped in her crib. Soon, she was going to be moving from her crib to a big girl's bed. He smirked as he recalled Chaz telling him how he handled the change when he was Maya's age. He had thought that there was a monster under his bed... after Angelica told him so, but he learned that she was wrong when Tommy slept over. Turned out, the supposed "monster" was a hideous sweater of Chaz's; Memories, huh? When he looked at Maya, she was laying on her side, hugging her Minnie Ariel doll as she faced him. He smiled as he stroked her red hair, and kissed her head. "I love you," He whispered to her, then walked out of the room to give her some peace. He leaned over to rest his lower arms on the window sill, and looked at the outside world. It was definitely different from the suburbs he grew up in, but it was still quite nice.

"Hello?" Shenzi walked in after a few minutes.

"Hey!" Chuckie ran up to her, and kissed her cheek. "How'd it go? Did you get the job?"

"The guy said he'll call me after looking over my resume," She replied.

"The guy?" He chuckled teasingly.

"Shut up," She giggled with a light, playful punch to his shoulder, "Where's Maya?"

"She's napping," He gestured to the nursery, "I put her in about 10 minutes ago."

"Ah," She nodded, "'Kay."

As she unclipped the barrette from her hair, so her vision was in her level of norm again, he noticed she looked nervous. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just afraid that I won't get the job," She shrugged. "I'm sure you will," Chuckie assured her, "Like I said before, you're a shoo-in for that position. Soon, the guy will be calling you to say you got the job."

A shy smirk grew on her face. "Thanks."

"Anytime," He kissed her lips, "After Maya wakes up, how 'bout we all go out for dinner tonight?"

"Sounds good," She nodded, "I'm going to change while I still have a few minutes." She walked into their bedroom, and changed into the Haunted Mansion dress she bought on her birthday trip to Disneyland, a white tank top under it, considering her dress' sheer fabric, the striped Cheshire Cat flats she received from Frankie for Christmas a year or two back, black pizza stud earrings, and her ring. "Okay, I'm ready when you and Maya are."

"Alright," Chuckie nodded. He stood up from the couch, and took his wife in his arms. "Don't be nervous about your interview, okay? I know you'll get that job."

"Thanks," She rested her head on his chest.

"Anytime," He kissed her temple, and rested his cheek in her hair. He saw her novelty earrings in her ears, and an idea came in his head. "Shen? Since you have pizza slices in your ears, how about we go to Cici's?"

"Yay," She giggled, "I love Cici's."

"I looked up food places near here, and there is one nearby. Although it's about an hour away."

"Works for me," She shrugged. "Alright, then Cici's it is."

"Yay."

"You okay?" He noticed her slight lack of enthusiasm.

"Yeah," He felt her head nod a little bit, "I'm just a little tired."

"You still want to go out?"

"Mm hmm," She nodded again.

"'Kay," Chuckie reluctantly stepped away, "I'll get Maya dressed, while you relax a little." He walked in the nursery, where Maya was awake and sitting up in her crib. "Hey, kiddo," He kissed her cheek, "We're all going out for pizza tonight!" He lifted her out of her crib after grabbing some little clothes, and dressed her. She was now in a turquoise and white layered short-sleeved dress with a polo collar, a plaid skirt with a black bow, turquoise socks, black sneakers with white laces, and an aqua blue mermaid scales bow headband. "Okay, let's go grab Mommy, and head out." He held Maya's hand as he walked back out to the living room, where Shenzi was resting on the couch. "Shen, you ready to go?"

"Yep!" She jumped down on the floor, and followed Chuckie and Maya out. "Cute outfit, Maya." The toddler gave her a smile in return.

"I picked it out for her," Chuckie turned to his wife.

"Well you have good taste."

"I learned from the best," He kissed her cheek.

"Aww," She blushed shyly, "Um, you have our room key, right?"

"Sure do," He nodded, "I'd hate to lock us out."

The small family walked out of the building and to their car, then Chuckie started driving to their destination after entering the address in the GPS. He smiled when Shenzi started whistling music from the movie "Epic", from the DVD menu. "That from that new movie by Blue Sky Studios?"

"Mm hmm," She nodded, "It's one of the best movies ever! The villain is so hot," She giggled with a blush on her cheeks.

"What about me?" He smirked teasingly.

"You're too adorable for that term," She shrugged, and kissed his cheek, "Besides, I don't have a chance with a celebrity anyway. Plus he has a wife already."

"Venus Woods?"

"Yep."

"Oh, I think I've seen her. She's really pretty, but... she has nothing on you."

"Aww," Her blush deepened, "Thanks."

"My pleasure."

After a few minutes, Chuckie heard Shenzi's stomach growl. "Getting hungry?"

"Yeah," She nodded sheepishly, "How much longer?"

"About 20 minutes, or half an hour."

"'Kay." She looked behind her seat. "You getting hungry, Maya?"

"Mama," She reached for her.

"You hungry, baby?" She held onto her tiny hand with her own.

"'eah," She mumbled.

"You want pizza?" Shenzi asked Maya, and the toddler giggled. "I'll take that as a yes." She turned back around to face forward.

"We'll have to cut her pizza in small pieces," Chuckie remarked.

"Yep," His wife nodded in agreement, "She oughta be fine with the brownies, though."

"You saw pictures?"

"Yeah, on Yelp. And from memory."

"Ah."

After around a half-hour passed, Chuckie stopped the car in a parking lot. "Here we are."

"Yay, pizza!" Shenzi cheered as she jumped out of the car, then opened the side door. "We're here, Maya!" She unbuckled her young daughter from her seat, and set her on the smooth pavement. Chuckie locked the car, and led his favorite girls to the building, which was bustling with activity. Maya was clutching her Minnie Ariel doll to her chest as she walked, holding her mommy's hand and looking at her surroundings; People, vehicles, dogs, etc.

Chuckie led his wife and daughter in the pizza place, holding the doors open, and paid for their meal in advance. "Okay ladies, let's wash up and then eat. I'll let you two go first, so I'll save a table."

"'Kay," Shenzi nodded, and walked Maya to the womens' restroom. "Okay baby, let's get those little hands clean." She washed her own hands after helping her daughter, then headed back out. "Okay, we're done."

"A'ight," Chuckie stood up, "I'll be back in a second. Don't start eating without me," He joked, and headed for the mens' restroom. After a minute, he came back out, and joined his girls at their table. "Okay, who'll go first?"

"I will," Shenzi stood up, and lifted their daughter out of the high chair, "And I'll take Maya."

"'Kay." She put a slice from the meat-lovers and dessert pizzas each, and provided a plain cheese slice, and a brownie for Maya after requesting a plastic knife. She then walked back to the table, where her husband was patiently waiting. "Okay, you can head over there."

Chuckie stood up, and grabbed a stuff crust rectangular slice, and a cinnamon roll, then came back to the table, where Shenzi was cutting Maya's pizza slice into small squares. "Okay Maya, here you go, sweetie. Eat up." She set the plate in front of the high chair, and the toddler started eating. The two adults followed her lead, as she unintentionally had sauce and cheese on her face and hands. When she moved on to her dessert, her sauce and cheese was topped with powdered sugar.

Chuckie couldn't help but chuckle upon seeing her, after swallowing a mouthful of pizza. "You're a messy eater, Mayflower." He carefully cleaned her face, then let her continue eating. "How's your pizza, Shen?"

"Very good," She replied after swallowing a bite of her meat-lovers slice, "Yours?"

"Awesome," He answered. He smirked when she practically scarfed down her dessert slice. "Got a soft spot for that one?"

"Mm hmm," She nodded with her mouth full, then swallowed. After finishing, she stood up. "Be right back." To his amusement, she grabbed another dessert pizza slice, along with a brownie, then came back. "This is the Ghirardelli place all over again," He remarked with a smirk.

"Yep," She giggled, and started eating.

After a while, the small family were all filled up, so they cleaned off their table and left. "Well, that was delicious," Chuckie remarked as he started driving.

"Yes it was," Shenzi patted her stomach, "Filling too. You full, Maya?" A cute babble answered her question. "Me too."

"Same here," Chuckie agreed.

At home, they all changed into their pajamas, and after laying Maya down for the night, the two parents laid on the couch and chair, their hands on their rumbling stomachs. Chuckie was in Nintendo NES pajama pants and a black Astrosmath t-shirt, while Shenzi was in a short, black Hello Kitty romper with spaghetti straps and light pink pipelining. "Ohhh," She groaned with a smile on her face, "I've never eaten that much dessert in my entire life."

"I've never eaten that much, period," He added.

She jolted when her phone, which was in a black bunny ears case, started ringing out of nowhere. Without looking at the ID, she answered. "Hello?" Chuckie looked down from the couch when she sat up. "Really? Oh, that's great! Thanks so much! You too!" She hung up, then turned to her husband. "I got the job!"

"Yeah!" He lunged down, and hugged her. "I knew you would!" He kissed her forehead over her bangs. "When do you start?"

"Next week," She replied with an excited smile.

"I know you'll be great," He assured her, "Let's go to bed."

"'Kay," She nodded, and after they brushed their teeth, they laid in bed together. "G'night, Chuckie."

"'Night, Shen." He kissed her lips for a second, then drifted off to sleep with her.

* * *

 **(A/N: Shenzi got the job! You know the disclaimer. Since my love for Epic was harboring while I wrote this, I decided to have it mentioned, along with one of my two OCs for it.)**


	29. Swimming Classes

**(A/N: Okay, this is kind of a short chapter. Enjoy!)**

* * *

 **Forever and Always**

Ch. 28

* * *

Some time passed, and the small Finster family had adjusted to life in their New Jersey apartment. Maya had a 3rd birthday, with Chuckie turning 23 at the same time, and before that, the two parents had found a good preschool to enroll her in. Not to mention Shenzi was enjoying her job as a seamstress for Tripp NYC. By now, Maya's dusty red hair had reached her shoulders, just as how her mother's was at age 2. Plus, she had ultimately moved from a crib, to a big girl bed.

On this particular summer day, Chuckie was getting ready for the first day of parent-child swimming lessons with Maya. He changed into black and white American Flag swim trunks, and a blue Nike sleeveless rash guard. "Aww," Shenzi giggled at seeing him, "Is someone shy?"

"Yes," He chuckled, "And I don't need any of the other parents making fun of me for looking like I'm still in high school."

"Ah," She nodded, "Well, even if there are European swimsuit models there, you'll still be the most attractive parent."

"Thanks Shen," He kissed her lips for a second, "I'm going to get Maya ready."

"Alright. I'll hold down the fort while you two are gone, since I have the day off today."

"Thanks, babe." In the nursery, Chuckie helped Maya change to a black peplum tankini top with white polka dots and a Mickey ears silhouette shape at the top, and thin straps, and paired it with simple red bottoms, both made by Shenzi. He then put Minnie Mouse sandals on her little feet, and grabbed her grey life vest and red Minnie hooded towel. "Alright Mayflower, you ready to go?"

"Uh huh!" She nodded. "I wanna swim, Daddy!"

"You'll have to learn first, kiddo." Holding her hand, he led her out of the room, through the lobby of the building, and to the family car as they said goodbye to Shenzi, Chuckie grabbing his red Converse high-tops and his black and white planets towel on the way. He buckled Maya into her booster seat, and started driving to the public pool, where the lessons would take place. After arriving, they went for the family locker room, where Chuckie left their shoes and towels, as other families with small children filed in.

"What an adorable little girl!" One mother gushed.

"Thanks," Chuckie nodded, "She got her looks from her mother."

"She must be beautiful."

"Oh, she is. She and little Maya here are my lovely angels."

"How old is Maya?"

"She just turned 3 last April. We actually share birthdays."

"How funny!"

"Yep," He chuckled, "She was and is the best birthday present I could ever ask for."

Later, the lesson began after the families were gathered in the pool, their children in their arms. As the man lectured, Chuckie averted his gaze to a woman next to him, who seemed to stare at him excessively. He made sure that his wedding rung was visible, but it seemed ineffective. "I, I'm married," He whispered to her.

"Happily?" She whispered back with a seductive grin.

"Very," He snapped quietly, then listened to the teacher as the woman looked annoyed.

"The water is your friend," The teacher lectured, "The water is your pal. The water won't hurt you if you treat it with respect."

"Oh boy," Chuckie muttered under his breath.

"Now it's time to meet the water. Parents, let your baby meet the water face to face."

"Wait, what?" The redhead raised an eyebrow at that.

"Now it's dipping time. Ready? And dip, and one, and two, and three..." Chuckie's eyes widened in shock as the other parents dunked their kids all the way in the water! Were they crazy?! "Good, good. And dip, and dip..."

"Are you people insane?!" He finally spoke up, so they stopped and turned to him. "This could drown your kids! They need to learn the breast stroke, not the death stroke!"

"Hey Red, I'm the teacher," The man crossed his arms, "I know what I'm doing."

"In that case, I guess I know what I'm doing as well; We're out of here! Come on, sweetheart." He hoisted himself and Maya out of the pool, then headed for the locker room. On the way, he filled out the form to confirm his quitting the class. Normally, he'd feel uncomfortable doing this on the first day after only about a minute, but he'd pick the uneasiness over his little girl drowning! After drying themselves, he and Maya boarded the car, and headed home. For a second, he saw the parents dunking their kids again, making him roll his eyes with a slight head shake. He didn't understand people, he really didn't. At the same time, he felt for those poor children.

After arriving back at their building, he led Maya to their apartment, where Shenzi was sitting in the living room. "Hey!" She greeted them. "You guys are back early. What happened?"

"The teacher is crazy," Chuckie replied, "He had the parents dunk their kids in the water, _all the way,_ to have them "meet it" or something."

"What?! That's insane! Those kids could drown!"

"That's what I said! So I quit the class."

"Good call," She nodded, "Let's look at the Recreational Center sometime."

"Alright. Hopefully they'll have a swimming instructor that won't try to kill the students."

"No kidding," Shenzi agreed, "Hmm... when does that lesson end?"

"It lasts for half an hour; Why?"

"Maybe after the class is dismissed, the 3 of us could go for a little swim?"

"That's a good idea," He nodded, "I'll go tell Maya." He headed for the nursery.

l-l

Later on, the family of 3 were ready to head for the town pool once the class had ended for the week. Chuckie and Maya were still in their swimsuits from the class, but Shenzi was now wearing a black and white vertically striped bikini top with matching, horizontally striped high-waisted bottoms, black jelly sandals, and a light pink crushed velvet short-sleeved dress with a white collar, and a black sheer yoke with a lace pentagram star. "So Shen, you found a swimming class at the Recreational Center?" Chuckie asked his wife.

"Yes I did," She nodded, "And nothing but positive reviews."

"Good. Nothing about dunking kids?"

"Nada."

"That's good. When does it start?"

"This Thursday, and it's weekly. I already signed you guys up."

"'Kay, thanks."

"My pleasure, babe."

At the pool, the parents made a beeline for the smaller one, and let Maya sit on the ledge, while keeping close eyes on her. Chuckie took off his rash guard, and Shenzi her dress, then they sat at either side of their daughter. "It's a perfect day, isn't it?" Shenzi remarked.

"Yep," Chuckie agreed, as Maya splashed the water, "It sure is." He kissed his wife's cheek.

That following Thursday, he attended the new class with Maya, and joined the other parents and kids in the pool. "Okay, is everyone here?" The instructor, who was a brunette woman. "Good. Okay, firstly, your child needs to get used to the water."

' _Uh oh,_ ' Chuckie thought to himself, and had to speak up. "Um," He raised his hand for a second, "You're not going to tell us to dunk our kids in, are you?"

"Why no, of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Because I attended the swimming class at the public pool, and the teacher had us do that."

"Well, that's crazy! Unlike that instructor, I know just what children need to learn."

"Okay," Chuckie nodded, "Sorry for the accusation. I just wanted to check, for my little girl's safety."

"I understand, Mr. Finster. I would've done the same."

"Thanks."

"Now then," She continued her lecture, "Just hold your child in the water, so it's just below their ribs." The parents did just that. "This will give them an idea of what it feels being in water."

After the class was dismissed, Chuckie walked out of the Recreational Center with Maya, feeling very pleased. He knew she was going to learn fast at this rate. Not to mention she'll be safe. "Hi!" Shenzi greeted them when they walked in the apartment. "How was the class?"

"Fun!" Maya hopped for a second, with her hands up.

"Much better than the first one," Chuckie replied, "This teacher actually knows what kids need to learn for swimming."

"Good! And it sounds like Maya enjoyed it."

"Yes she did," He chuckled, "This class is a keeper."

"I'm glad."

* * *

 **(A/N: I know, a slow and boring chapter. You know the disclaimer. The first class is a reference to the Rugrats episode "The Big Flush". I didn't see the whole episode; Just when the class was going on. It was disturbing. O,O)**


End file.
